Serena Williams reveals she hasn't stopped since her retirement
WTA
Most would have expected Serena Williams to take a lengthy break after retiring from professional tennis, but she has taken the opposite approach.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion's legendary career ended at the US Open. Williams bid farewell to the WTA Tour after losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round. An emotional retirement ceremony was held for the tennis legend on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
However, Williams has not ruled out the possibility of returning to tennis. The 41-year-old dropped another potential hint about a comeback by posting a picture of a tennis racket on social media with a caption saying she was bored.
Williams might be encouraged by her nomination for the WTA Comeback Player of the Year. She was nominated after returning from 12 months out with a severe injury during this year's grass-court season before retiring a few months later.
Despite her social media post about being bored, Williams' comments during a recent episode of the PEOPLE Every Day Podcast indicate she has not been taking it easy since retiring from professional tennis.
Williams mentioned on the podcast that she needed to not overthink after coming to the end of her tennis journey (at least for now) and feared that an overly abrupt stop could have negative consequences.
"If you do something for your entire life, your whole journey and your whole life is this one thing and it's done, then it could be a very abrupt stop ... I just didn't wanna do that. I feel like one day I'm gonna stop and, you know, just reflect and just think about the memories. But I just haven't done that yet."
"I will take a break eventually. But I needed to keep going 'cause I just needed to not think."
Stepping away from professional tennis is a significant adjustment for Williams if she stays retired and does not return to the sport in the future.
