Serena Williams will begin her last run at the US Open, and this is going to be an emotional moment. Her decision took the players and her fans by surprise. However, it was a decision that was not easy to make. Williams talked to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry about her retirement in detail before she announced it in public.

Moreover, their guidance, according to Serena, was pivotal in helping her come to a conclusion that suited her needs at this time.

Serena Williams discussed her retirement with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before the announcement

The 23-time grand slam champion was talking to the Duchess of Sussex about her retirement on her podcast, ‘Archetypes’. Williams had talked about her retirement plans in detail with Prince Harry. She said, “You knew about it for a long time, and I talked with Harry about it a lot as well.”

She said Harry, “was trying to knock some sense into me.” Markle acknowledged that and remembered when Williams and Harry had indulged in the conversation for a long period. The player had sent the draft of the Vogue edition of her retirement to the couple to show her gratitude.

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She said to Markle, “I wanted you to understand what it meant to have your support and for H’s support—for everything.” The Duchess of Sussex empathized with her dear friend in taking a difficult decision.

Williams and her passion for tennis

The American legend has spent 27 years of her life shaping a glorious career in tennis. The former world no.1 expressed her love for tennis on the podcast and said, “my whole life has been one thing, the worst place to be is on the fence, as you know.” She also mentioned how she had to take a tough decision, “So, it’s like, make a decision: either be in it or be out of it. And I was on the fence for a while because I love what I do.”

Serena has always considered succeeding in the tennis world as her destiny. Elaborating on this, she said, “I’ve been doing this my entire existence. Even before I was born, it was what I was meant to do and what I was supposed to do and what was chosen for me.”

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The 6-time US Open champion will begin her last tournament by facing Danka Kovinic of Montenegro in the first round. Do you think she will perform well at the hard-court major?