Serena Williams’s iconic career may be officially over after Australian Ajla Tomljanoviu0107 bounced back in the third set on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
In what ended up being the longest of the three matches in her final U.S. Open, the 23-time Grand Slam winner valiantly fought until the bitter end, but ended up falling to Tomljanoviu0107 7–5, 6–7(4), 6–1 in a thrilling back-and-forth third-round affair.
Williams forced a deciding third set with a second-set tiebreaker after Tomljanoviu0107 rallied to overcome a 4–0 deficit. After Tomljanoviu0107 took a commanding lead, the two battled intensely, with Williams refusing to let her opponent deliver the career-ending blow.