Serena Williams waved farewell to the US Open - and her illustrious career - amid emotional scenes after she lost to Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic on a thrilling night in New York, reports BBC.
Twenty-three major singles winner, who turns 41 this month, expects it to be her final match.
The announcement will end a 27-year professional career and sees the American widely labelled as the greatest of all time.
Serena Williams said, "I'm literally playing my way into this and getting better. I should have started sooner this year. I don't think so, but you never know."
She had tears streaming down her face when she was interviewed in the middle of the court, thanking her family, team, the crowd and her fans across the world for their support over the years.
Williams said, "I thank everyone that's here, that's been on my side so many years, decades. Oh my gosh, literally decades."
Serena Williams played her first professional tournament as a 14-year-old in 1995.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
