Serena Williams

TORONTO — Serena Williams earned her first victory of the season Monday at the women's National Bank Open, defeating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3, 6-4.

"I'm getting closer to the light. After going up 5-3, Williams jumped out to a 40-15 lead to set up match point. I can't do this forever, so sometimes you just want to try your best to enjoy the moments and do the best that you can." "I've had a fabulous time on court and probably a better time off the court here. It's just the second tournament of the season for Williams, who made her return to competition at Wimbledon just over a month ago. Literally, I'm the kind of person (where) it takes one or two things and then it clicks."

Serena Williams subdued Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-3, 6-4 to score her first singles win in a year-and-a-half at the National Bank Open in Toronto. Photo credit ...

"I just wanted to be out here today," Williams said. Williams wiped it away as the struggled stretched to its eighth deuce. Williams whipped a wide serve winner to erase it. Williams wiped away another break point slamming a forehand that skidded off the baseline sliding underneath Parrizas Diaz's forehand. The Spaniard was smacking her two-handed backhand crosscourt with sharp angle and when Williams was pushed into the corner to defend it, Parrizas Diaz sometimes drove her backhand down the line for clean winners. Credit Parrizas Diaz, who was hitting her groundstrokes bigger than the former No. 1 at that point, for continuing to press. That sweaty struggle only made the American more determined. Staring down break point at 1-2 in the second set, Serena summoned the warrior within. That ferocious stand seemed to strengthen Williams, who was bending over at the waist sucking in deep gulps of air midway through the set. Still, Williams delivered some of her most assertive tennis on pivotal points. Twenty-two years after her tournament debut, the 41-year-old superstar showed signs of inactivity-induced rust. "Mentally I feel I'm getting there.

Serena Williams moved into the Toronto Open second round with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Spain's Nuria Parrizas Diaz on Monday.

"I've been very aggressive and I played fast so that's my goal and I am trying to do that every day." "Physically I feel much better in practice, it's just like getting that to the court. "Mentally I feel I'm getting there.

Williams, 40, beat world No. 57 Nuria Parrizas Diaz in the first round of the National Bank Open in Canada.

She was recovering from an injury suffered at the grand slam tournament in 2021. Serena is not the only Williams at the National Bank Open. Venus Williams, 42, is also scheduled to play at the event. She returned to action at Wimbledon after a year away from the tour.

Serena Williams a réussi son entrée à l'Omnium Banque Nationale, lundi à Toronto, venant à bout de l'Espagnol Nuria Parrizas-Diaz en deux manches de 6-3 et ...

Serena Williams a réussi son entrée à l’Omnium Banque Nationale, lundi à Toronto, venant à bout de l’Espagnol Nuria Parrizas-Diaz en deux manches de 6-3 et 6-4. Williams a réussi le bris en fin de deuxième manche après avoir elle-même résisté à quatre balles de bris lors du jeu précédent. Parrizas-Diaz, 57e au monde et issue des qualifications, n’a jamais été en mesure de s’en remettre. Il s’agit d’une première victoire en 2022 pour l’Américaine de 40 ans, qui a été contrainte à une longue période d’inactivité au cours des derniers mois en raison d’une blessure à une jambe.

L'Américaine Serena Williams a signé sa première victoire de l'année, six semaines après son retour manqué à Wimbledon, en battant Nuria Parrizas-Diaz ...

Il s’agit de transposer ça en contexte de match, a dit Williams. Je suis le genre de personne qui peut rapidement prendre un bon rythme. La Suissesse est la 12e tête d’affiche cette année. Williams est revenue au jeu à Wimbledon, le mois dernier.

Serena Williams returned to her winning ways at the National Bank Open, defeating Nuria Parrizas Diaz in the first round. There was a lot to like about the ...

Williams saved seven of the eight break points she faced in the match. Williams broke on just her second break point of the set and then closed out the win. The most critical game of the match came with Williams serving at 3-4 in the second set. But she refused to let Parrizas Diaz entertain any notions of a comeback by snuffing out six break points across three service games in the second set. Williams opened the match with a quick 2-0 lead before Parrizas Diaz broke back and leveled at 2-2. TORONTO -- Serena Williams made a winning return to the National Bank Open on Monday, defeating Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.

Serena Williams has recorded her first singles match win in 430 days after defeating Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-3 6-4 in the opening round of the National Bank ...

After an hour and 58 minutes, the former world No 1 closed out a 6-3 6-4 victory to mark her first match win in singles since the French Open third-round on June 4 last year, when she defeated compatriot Danielle Collins 6-4 6-4. The pair then found themselves locked in battle in a 25-minute game, which saw Williams save four break points and overcome nine deuces to level at 4-4. The three-time Canadian Open champion won the last three games of the set, breaking at a crucial time to go 5-3 up and serve it out, though not without some difficulty.

Serena Williams won her first singles match since Roland Garros in 2021 as she tries to gear up for a potential run at the U.S. Open starting later this ...

“If she can get two or three matches a couple weeks in a row going into the U.S. Open, then she’s got a shot to actually win some matches. Next week she is also scheduled to play the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, an event she won in 2014 and ‘15. I was just out here doing my best today.” “I just wanted to be out here today,” Williams said on court. After a year off the singles court, Williams, the 23-time major champion, returned at Wimbledon last month but lost in the first round to Harmony Tan, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7). Serena Williams won her first singles match since Roland Garros in 2021 as she tries to gear up for a potential run at the U.S. Open starting later this month.

Serena Williams a retrouvé la victoire en battant Nuria Parrizas Diaz (6-3, 6-4), lundi, au premier tour du WTA 1000 de Toronto. Elle remporte son premier ...

Une première étape de franchie vers le retour au sommet visé par Serena Williams à trois semaines de l'US Open (29 août- 11 septembre). Mais l'Américaine parvenait à effacer six balles de breaks dans un deuxième set très long (1h19). Cela faisait 430 jours que Serena Williams n'avait plus gagné un match de tennis.

L'Américaine Serena Williams a bien amorcé son parcours à l'Omnimum Banque Nationale à Toronto en l'emportant sur l'Espagnole Nuria Parrizas Diaz, lundi.

L'ex-No1 mondiale désormais retombée à la 407e place mondiale, poussée dans ses retranchements a dû sauver plusieurs balles de break pour enfin convertir son service (9 égalités). La championne aux 23 titres en Grand Chelem a remporté la première manche avec panache. Ce fut le tournant du match, car dans la foulée, elle a encore breaké pour s'ouvrir le chemin de la victoire sur sa propre mise en jeu, à la grande satisfaction du public de Toronto. Moins véloce, mais s'appuyant sur un service rapide comme à l'époque de sa splendeur, Williams a pris la mise en jeu de son adversaire à 4-3 avant de servir pour le gain du set qu'elle a conclu avec autorité. Serena Williams et Simona Halep passent au 2e tourOmnium Banque Nationale lundi, 8 août 2022. 14:46 lundi, 8 août 2022.

Williams a remporté les trois derniers jeux du match, à seulement son deuxième tournoi en 2022. Williams est revenue au jeu à Wimbledon, le mois dernier.

La Suissesse est la 12e tête d'affiche cette année. Halep a été la grande gagnante du tournoi en 2016 et 2018, à Montréal à chaque fois. Williams est revenue au jeu à Wimbledon, le mois dernier.

In her first singles win this season, Serena Williams showed the match toughness that was missing at Wimbledon a month ago. She fought for every point in ...

Williams was broken just once in the Monday match, saved seven of eight break points on the day, and notched seven aces -- proving her legendary serve remains a valuable weapon. While it may feel like an eternity ago, Williams reached the semifinals at the Australian Open, her last hardcourt major, in 2021 and remains hungry to make one final push for Grand Slam title No. 24. Williams went on to reach the final that year in Canada, as well as at the US Open weeks later. "I guess there's just a light at the end of the tunnel, I'm getting closer to the light, so lately that's been it for me, can't wait to get to that light," Williams told reporters after the match with a laugh, but insisting she wasn't joking. It's of course impossible to predict how she'll fare the rest of this week and during the hardcourt season, but a victory over a tough opponent is a promising start and should give her a much-needed confidence boost. Parrizas-Diaz found her form and at times it looked all but certain the match would be going the distance. Currently unranked and needing a wild card for entry, Williams proved she still belonged on the sport's biggest stages. Williams, a three-time Canadian Open champion, will next play the winner of Tuesday's Belinda Bencic- Tereza Martincova match and could potentially face Naomi Osaka in the third round. But, you know, you got to think if I were playing matches I wouldn't miss some of those points or this match." During most of Williams' career, a first-round win over a lucky loser ranked No. 57 in the world wouldn't have elicited such emotion from the 23-time major champion. "This being one of my favorite stops on tour, I was really happy to be here again." It had been 14 months since Serena Williams had recorded a singles win.

In only her second tournament of the season, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams earned her first victory of 2022 at the women's National Bank Open ...

But Parrizas-Diaz had trouble with Williams' serve, as the American scored on three of her four aces within that span. The event returns to full capacity this year for the first time since 2019. Australia's Alex de Minaur had a 7-5, 6-6 lead on Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., when the clouds opened. "It doesn't change much if they're here or not because my goal is to win the tournament," Medvedev said. Medvedev, who competes under a neutral flag, could face Australia's Nick Kyrgios in the second round. Medvedev didn't lose a set at the tournament en route to claiming his 14th career ATP-level crown. "Really happy with Los Cabos for sure with the title. "I will have two good days of practice and after I'll start the tournament," he said. The last of them caused Parrizas-Diaz to hit a high arching shot that allowed Williams to fire one the opposite way, well out of her reach, to win the set 6-3. Serena Williams advances to the 2nd round of the National Bank Open Others include Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, Norway's Casper Ruud and Italy's Jannik Sinner. Looking forward to here, trying to get some good matches."

TORONTO (AP) — Serena Williams earned her first win in more than a year Monday, beating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3, 6-4 at the women's National Bank Open.

“I’m getting closer to the light. Williams won the final three games to take the first set, then surged ahead in the second after the 57th-ranked Parrizas-Diaz took a 4-3 lead. “I love playing though, it’s amazing,” she added. It’s just the second tournament of the season for the 40-year-old Williams, who returned to competition at Wimbledon just over a month ago. Parrizas-Diaz tied it 2-2, but despite Williams’ struggles at certain points, the 31-year-old Spaniard couldn’t find enough of a consistent flow to get ahead. I think that’s what I needed to do, is just compete,” she said.

The question of how much longer is not new to Serena Williams. After an opening-round win Monday in Toronto, though, she shed a little light.

“When you’re at that stage of the game -- not that I played into my 40s, but rather my mid-30s -- that it’s a tightrope with your body, right? “It was fall of ’93 and I said, `OK, next year is my last year,’ ” Navratilova said. “Nobody can tell you how you should mourn, just like nobody should tell you how to retire,” she said from her Miami home. Venus’ last match before that was a year ago in Chicago, a straight-sets loss to Hsieh Su-Wei. Her record is 3-10 in the past 19 months. “As an athlete, you cannot accept that as the last match. “They’re trying to stay healthy, play enough matches,” tennis analyst Pam Shriver said. I love the game,” Navratilova said. Particularly, Venus and Serena. I remember them saying they weren’t going to play past 25 or something -- and here they are.” “How did I stay there? “I don’t know, I’m getting closer to the light, so .... Lately that's been it for me. “Freedom,” she said. “I guess there’s just a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said, laughing.

'I was happy to win a match,' Williams said after her win at York University's Sobeys Stadium. 'It's been a very long time. I forgot what it felt like'

While the WTA tournament rotates between Toronto and Montreal each year, all three of Williams’s titles came in Toronto. Canada’s WTA 1000 tournament has often propelled her to a strong finish in the hardcourt season. She was scheduled for Monday night’s late match, facing Jil Teichmann of Switzerland. Rain in Toronto caused delays in the first-round action on Day 1. The first time she won it, she was just 19 years old in 2001, overcoming top-seeded Jennifer Capriati in a three-set thriller. Williams has recently returned to action after a full year away from competition at Wimbledon in June, where she suffered her second straight first-round exit at the grass-court major she has won seven times. She has reached the semi-finals or better in her last six appearances at this event. She and Andreescu shared a touching moment on court, with the young Canadian comforting the veteran star.

The 40-year-old defeated world number 57 Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-3 6-4 at the National Bank Open in Toronto for her first taste of success in singles since the ...

L'Américaine a signé son retour après un Wimbledon raté, en battant Nuria Parrizas Diaz (n°57 mondiale) en deux sets (6-3, 6-4) au premier tour du tournoi ...

Serena Williams said she is reluctant to admit she has to "move on from playing tennis," but the 23-time Grand Slam champion said "now the countdown has ...

Williams began her professional career in 1995 as a 14-year-old and has since become one of the greatest to ever play the sport, with 73 career singles titles, four Olympic gold medals and 319 weeks at No. 1. "I know there's a fan fantasy that I might have tied Margaret that day in London, then maybe beat her record in New York, and then at the trophy ceremony say, 'See ya!' I get that. She officially made her comeback in doubles at Eastbourne in June before returning in singles at Wimbledon the following week. "Unfortunately I wasn't ready to win Wimbledon this year," Williams said in the essay. Williams, 40, is currently playing at the Canadian Open, and won her first match in 14 months on Monday to advance to the second round. I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way."

Serena Williams, one of the most transcendent and dominant competitors in the history of tennis, is retiring from the sport after playing in the US Open one ...

But these days, if I have to choose between building my tennis résumé and building my family, I choose the latter.” And I’m going to miss you.” “I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. “But I’m going to try. “I went from a C-section to a second pulmonary embolism to a grand slam final. It comes up, I get an uncomfortable lump in my throat, and I start to cry.” “I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.” “The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus grand slams. She wrote about Ashleigh Barty, the former world No. 1 who left the sport in March at the top of her game, and felt ready to move on. I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete,” Williams wrote. And I almost did do the impossible: A lot of people don’t realize that I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labour of expanding our family.

Serena Williams says she is ready to step away from tennis after winning 23 Grand Slam titles, turning her focus to having another child and her business ...

Williams said she and Ohanian want to have a second baby, and wrote: “I definitely don't want to be pregnant again as an athlete. And I don't know if I will be ready to win New York,” Williams wrote in her essay. “Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. She was off the tour for about a year after getting injured during her first-round match at Wimbledon in 2021. I'm torn: I don't want it to be over, but at the same time I'm ready for what's next.” “I'd be lying if I said I didn't want that record. That unflinching desire to be the best helped make her the best - and also sometimes got her into trouble with chair umpires during matches, most infamously during the 2018 U.S. Open final she lost to Naomi Osaka, a woman more than a decade younger who grew up idolizing Williams, as have so many of today's players. They can wear what they want and say what they want and kick butt and be proud of it all.” “Serena Williams is a generational, if not multi-generational, talent who had a profound impact on the game of tennis, but an even greater influence on women in sports, business and society. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads,” she wrote. “I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it's not. "There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction.

La célèbre joueuse de tennis Serena Williams prévoit prendre sa retraite après sa prochaine participation au US Open.

C’est une icône, une légende. Le sport a besoin d’elle. Elle a accompli des choses incroyables, non seulement pour le tennis, mais pour les femmes. Après une carrière qui a inspiré une nouvelle génération de joueurs et de fans. C’est une icône. Sa place dans la société américaine est allée à un endroit où elle le mérite après tout ce qu’elle a accompli [...]. Elle est au niveau où Michael Jordan, LeBron James et Tom Brady sont. Ce legs continuera à inspirer plusieurs générations. [...] Ce qui fait d’elle la plus grande, pour moi, c’est aussi sa personnalité et ce qu’elle a fait à l’extérieur du terrain. Devient la deuxième femme après Steffi Graf à gagner le Grand Chelem doré en carrière (les 4 majeurs et les JO). Qu’elles peuvent porter ce qu’elles veulent, dire ce qu’elles veulent, botter des derrières et en être fières. » Bat deux joueuses du top 10 à ce tournoi : Mary Pierce et Monica Seles. Mais mercredi, au crépuscule de sa carrière, Serena se réjouit du legs qu’elle laissera aux athlètes de demain. « Certains affirment que je ne suis pas la plus grande de tous les temps parce que je n’ai pas dépassé la marque de Margaret Court. [...] Je mentirais si je disais que je ne veux pas ce record. Elle souhaite également mettre l’accent sur « ses buts spirituels et finalement découvrir une Serena différente, mais tout aussi excitante ». La plus grande joueuse de tous les temps prendra sa retraite dans les prochaines semaines, a-t-elle annoncé mardi. Elle aura été à la fois reine et révolutionnaire. Mais l’heure est venue pour Serena Williams de remettre en jeu sa couronne.

Serena Williams says she is ready to step away from tennis after winning 23 Grand Slam titles, turning her focus to having another child and her business ...

He was like, 'if Mr. Williams could do it, then I can.' It's not so much just what Serena and Venus have left, it's also the whole Williams family in general." "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want that record. I think the legacy she'll continue to leave throughout her life is something that can inspire many more generations," she said. "I grew up watching her. "Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. "That's a question I can't answer," she said at the time. Only one player, Margaret Court, collected more, 24, although she won a portion of hers in the amateur era. Even the players in the players lounge, everybody's talking about Serena." "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want that record. "I don't know. Williams was off the tour for about a year after getting injured during her first-round match at Wimbledon in 2021. Only one player, Margaret Court, collected more, 24, although she won a portion of hers in the amateur era.

In an essay shared in Vogue, Serena Williams wrote that the decision to leave the sport wasn't an easy one, but she plans to evolve other parts of her life ...

With 23 major titles already earned, Williams wrote via Vogue that she “wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon” this year. “That time is always hard when you love something so much,” she wrote. “I don’t think it’s fair. She claimed Olympia is eager to be a big sister. “I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people,” Williams wrote for the September cover story. “Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution.

Williams, who is in Toronto taking part in the National Bank Open, made the announcement in an essay released Tuesday by Vogue magazine. “I'm turning 41 this ...

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus Grand Slams.” Only one player, Margaret Court, collected more, 24, although she won a portion of hers in the amateur era.

Serena Williams quittera sa carrière active de joueuse comme elle l'a vécue : comme personne d'autre.

« Malheureusement, je n’étais pas prête à gagner Wimbledon cette année. Et je ne sais pas si je serai prête à gagner New York [au US Open]. Mais je vais essayer. Aux yeux de la Canadienne Rebecca Marino, l’influence de Williams est généralisée et difficile à égaler pour les joueuses actuelles et futures. Enfin, je ne pense pas vraiment que ce soit une opinion, je pense que c’est un fait. Bien que l’annonce de Williams ne soit pas non plus une surprise totale, pour les jeunes joueuses comme l’Américaine Coco Gauff, la nouvelle est toujours aussi triste. Même les joueurs dans le salon des joueurs, tout le monde parle de Serena. Je ne suis pas bonne au moment de dire adieu. Mais je sais que je ne pourrai pas le faire pour toujours. « Ça montre la lumière au bout du tunnel. Si j’étais un homme, je n’aurais pas à écrire ces lignes parce que je pourrais jouer et gagner en laissant ma conjointe faire le travail physique pour agrandir notre famille. Margaret Court détient le record absolu, avec 24 titres du Grand Chelem, mais elle en a remporté certains durant l’ère amateur. « C’est la chose la plus difficile que je puisse imaginer, poursuit-elle. Mais le compte à rebours est commencé. Je dois me concentrer sur mon rôle de mère], elle a donné naissance à sa fille Olympia en 2017], sur mes objectifs spirituels et sur la découverte d’une nouvelle, mais tout aussi intéressante, Serena. Je vais profiter des prochaines semaines.

La vedette du tennis Serena Williams a annoncé que «le compte à rebours» concernant sa retraite était «enclenché», mardi sur Instagram et dans une interview ...

Mais maintenant le compte à rebours est enclenché», a expliqué l'Américaine de 40 ans, détentrice de 23 titres en Grand Chelem, disant vouloir «se concentrer sur son rôle de maman, ses objectifs sur le plan spirituel pour découvrir une nouvelle, mais tout aussi passionnante Serena». L'Américaine qui fêtera ses 41 ans le 26 septembre prochain s'est imposée au courage face à l'Espagnole Nuria Parrizas-Diaz (N.57) en deux manches (6-3, 6-4) au terme d'un match disputé, remportant son premier succès de l'année 2022. «Il y a un temps dans la vie où il faut décider de prendre une nouvelle route.

Mon Dieu que j'adore le tennis. Mais maintenant, le décompte a débuté, a écrit Williams sur Instagram. Je dois me concentrer sur mon rôle de mère, mes objectifs ...

Qui sait ? Qui sait où je vais rebondir ? » Si j’étais un homme, je n’aurais pas à écrire ces lignes parce que je pourrais jouer et gagner en laissant ma conjointe faire le travail physique pour agrandir notre famille. Je suis déchirée : je ne veux pas que ce soit terminé, mais je sais que je suis prête pour la suite. C’est clair que je le veux. Je déteste ça. Je déteste être rendue à la croisée des chemins, a-t-elle écrit. Je me répète que j’aurais aimé que ce soit facile pour moi, mais ce ne l’est pas. Mais maintenant, le décompte est commencé, a écrit Williams sur Instagram. Je dois me concentrer sur mon rôle de mère, mes objectifs spirituels et finalement découvrir une version différente, mais tout aussi spéciale, de moi.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion says it's time to move in a 'different direction' and focus on discovering herself outside of tennis.

“But I’m turning 41 (in September), and something’s got to give.” “Unfortunately I wasn’t ready to win Wimbledon this year. I want to grow that family.” “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. “Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. “A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm.

Tennis icon: 'I'm turning 41 this month, and something's got to give'

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus Grand Slams.” Only one player, Margaret Court, collected more, 24, although she won a portion of hers in the amateur era.

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