Serena Williams to Retire from Tennis, Focus on Business Empire

It looks like one of the greatest athletes in history will be soon calling it a career.

On Tuesday, Serena Williams said in a feature story for Vogue that she will retire from tennis, likely after the upcoming U.S. Open.

The 40-year-old was reluctant to use the word “retirement,” however, characterizing this phase of her life as an “evolution.”

Williams’ on-court accomplishments are legendary in the sport. Now, she’ll look to expand on her off-court success.

• Her VC firm, Serena Ventures, has invested in over 60 startups, with 16 valued at more than $1B, including MasterClass, Tonal, and Impossible Foods.
• She is a part-owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the NWSL’s Angel City FC.
• Williams has been one of Nike’s flagship athletes since 2004, and the company opened a building in her name on its Oregon campus in April.
• Forbes estimates her net worth at $260M.

Williams said in the Vogue article that investing in women-owned businesses has been and will continue to be a priority going forward.

While much of her time will be spent building her business empire, Williams also plans to focus on her family.

After mentioning that she was two months pregnant with her daughter Olympia when she won the 2017 Australian Open, she implied that she and husband Alexis Ohanian are looking to expand their family in the near future.