As the year 2023 comes to an end, we here at EssentiallySports have decided to cherish the top sporting moments of the year. And to do so, we have selected 22 special sporting moments that have made 2022 a memorable year for the sporting. Unsurprisingly, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams, features in the year-end awards with other prominent stars in tennis.

To start with, we are going to discuss the award for the most heart-breaking announcement of the year. It’s a no-brainer to guess which moment is going to win this. After all, arguably the GOAT of women’s tennis retired this year. Can there be anything more saddening than seeing Serena Williams play for the last time?

Serena Williams’ retirement – the most heartbreaking announcement of the year

The Queen of the court, Serena Williams, played the last match of her professional tennis career this year. Before making her comeback in 2022, Serena was out of the WTA Tour for more than a year. She finally returned to action prior to the Wimbledon Championships. It was exciting to see her back on the court after a long break, but it was a short stay. The American lost her very first match at Wimbledon.

Serena didn’t look like herself in that match. Many of her fans believed that this was it. However, she made it clear in the press conference that everything was not over yet. She vowed to come back stronger.

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After Serena Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam title in 2017, it just looked like a matter of time before the legend goes past the all-time record of 24, held by the retired Australian tennis player, Margaret Court. However, both Serena and her fans were frustrated that the 23-time Grand Slam champion failed to cross the last hurdle every time.

After her 23rd Slam, Serena reached the Grand Slam final on four different occasions; Wimbledon Championships 2018, followed by the US Open 2018. Next year, she reached the finals of both these tournaments again. However, the result was the same, and the wait continued.

After a disappointing end to her Wimbledon outing, Serena declared her retirement via an essay in the Vogue Magazine. Reflecting on her 27-year-long journey, the 41-year-old used the term “Evolving away from tennis”.

So the plan was simple. Serena was going to play a couple of tournaments before finally playing her last Grand Slam tournament, the US Open 2022.

For preparation, Serena played in the Canadian Open and won her first match of the year. But the happiness was short-lived as she lost in the next round. Next up, she played in the Cincinnati Masters. It was an even more disappointing outing as the 41-year-old lost her first-round match against the US Open defending champion Emma Raducanu in straight sets.

When Serena finally entered the US Open for one final time, the hopes were really low. Considering her performances leading to the US Open, everyone was expecting her to crash out after the very first match. However, the American legend had different plans, and she would not go down without a fight. Serena started with a bang and defeated Danka Kovinic in straight sets to make her intentions clear. She continued her winning momentum and defeated the second seed, Anett Kontaveit, in the next round.

In the third round, Serena was up against the Australian tennis star Ajla Tomljanovic. The Aussie took the early lead as she won the first set 7-5. But Serena, playing her last tournament, was not ready to give up. She staged a fighting comeback in the second set and took it, 7-6.

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In the decider, the Aussie made full use of Serena’s tiredness. Soon Serena was trailing 5-1 and on the verge of losing the match. However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion saved five match points in her bid to stay alive. Ultimately, her illustrious career came to an end after a thoroughly enjoyable match that ended in three sets.

Everyone in the Arthur Ashe Stadium wanted to have a glimpse of a legend who was not ready to give up until the last point of her career. In the end, Serena hit one into the net and the stadium went silent. The 27-year journey came to an end.

During her emotional farewell speech, the crowd at the Arthur Ashe was understandably emotional. People were in tears just like Serena. That’s how one of the greatest tennis players in the Open Era retired.

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Serena Williams’ emotional goodbye to tennis wins our “heart-breaking announcement/moment of the year award.”

Full list of the award winners

Here’s the full list of the awards for the year 2022.

WTF moment of the year: Antonio Brown exposing himself
Heart-breaking announcement/moment of the year: Serena Williams’ retirement
Most-dominant moment of the year: C-Bum winning Mr. Olympia for the 4th time in a row
Fairytale moment of the year: Lionel Messi lifting World Cup with Argentina
Shocking moment of the year: Bubba Wallace punching a fellow NASCAR driver
Picture-perfect moment of the year: Michael Jordan, David Beckham, Tom Brady, and others clicking a picture together at the Miami Grand Prix
Cringe-worthy moment of the year: Salt Bae’s World Cup celebration
Most-Controversial moment of the year: Lia Thomas
Biggest Disruptive sporting moment of the year: The inaugural season of the controversial LIV Golf
End of an era moment of the year: Vince McMahon
Wildest moment of the year: (80-1) underdog Rich Strike winning the famous Kentucky Derby after ranking 16th in the final turn
Most viral athlete off-the court: Brittney Griner
Impossible moment of the year: Ross Chastain
Breakout star of the year: Carlos Alcaraz
Unexpected truth-bomb of the year: Cristiano Ronaldo exposing Manchester United’s leadership
Saddest moment of the year: Nadal vs Federer holding hands and tearing up
Upset of the Year: Hadi Choopan winning Mr. Olympia over Big Ramy
Meme-worthy moment of the year: LeBron James interview memes
Entertainers of the Year: Paul Brothers
Blooper of the Year: Tom Brady retiring for 40 days
Underdog story of the year: Leon Edwards KO
Comeback of the Year: Vikings completing the biggest comeback in NFL history