Serena Williams Could Follow Tom Brady’s ‘Cool Trend’

Ahead of the U.S. Open, Serena Wiliams told Vogue she was “evolving away from tennis,” but has been reluctant to admit that she has to move on from playing.

There might be a reason she doesn’t like the word “retirement” and hasn’t called her next step anything but an “evolution.”

When asked about a possible return to the court, Serena told “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, “I mean you never know. I’ve just been saying that I think Tom Brady started a really cool trend.”

Brady returned for his 23rd NFL season just six weeks after announcing his retirement in February.

“I feel like there’s no way that I don’t want to be involved in tennis somehow in the future,” Williams said.

Whether Williams plays again, she is plenty busy.

• Serena Ventures, her VC fund, has invested in more than 60 startups, with 16 valued at more than $1 billion.
• Williams is part owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the NWSL’s Angel City FC.

Tennis GOATs

Williams was named by Forbes as the third-highest paid tennis player this year with $35.1 million in earnings. She trailed only Naomi Osaka and Roger Federer, who announced his retirement on Thursday.

Federer, who has yet to play this year, will retire after the 2022 Laver Cup, which begins Sept. 23. He’s earned $130.5 million in prize money — third all-time behind Novak Djokovic ($158.9 million) and Rafael Nadal ($131.6 million).