American tennis legend Serena Williams recently played her last tennis match. As the legend announced her retirement after the US Open, ticket sales saw a record surge. As the 40-year-old is a hugely popular tennis icon, the crowd she drew to the stadiums was at a peak for her last tournament in front of her adoring home crowd.

However, as she bowed out after a third-round loss against Australian Ajla Tomljanović, organizers expected a reduced footfall. However, the trend suggests something else.

Record crowds continue at 2022 US Open after Serena Williams

As Serena Williams played her last game in the Arthur Ashe stadium on Friday, the crowd has still been magnificent, even on the very next day. In fact, it surpassed the attendance from the previous day, when Williams last played.

Notably, the attendance on Friday was 72039, while it rose to 72065 on Saturday.

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The trend is an indication of rising tennis popularity in the US. While the end of Serena’s career is the end of an era, the future generation is ready for the new superstars, as the increased footfall suggests.

President Joe Biden congratulates Williams

Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the best-ever tennis players that America has ever produced. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is second to only Margaret Court of Australia in the list of most Grand Slam singles titles. The way she carried on her career after facing different challenges and coming out even more powerful every time has been inspiring for fans of all generations. As the legend bid adios to her tennis career, President Joe Biden also congratulated Williams for an illustrious career.

“@SerenaWilliams, you’re an inspiration, a champion of all time. Thank you for dreaming, daring, and proving that anything is possible,” he wrote on Twitter.

Earlier this year, Williams declared her retirement plans in her interview with Vogue magazine. The 40-year-old said that the upcoming season will be her last. As Williams entered the US Open, she was in fact not in the best of form.

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However, fans of Serena Williams were pleased to see the fight she showed in the three matches at the US Open this year.

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