Serena Williams Grabs First Win In U.S Open Match After Announcing Her Exit From Tennis

Tennis star, Serena Williams, has grabbed her first win in U.S Open Match on Monday night.

This comes after she announced her exit from tennis not long ago.

She started the first match of her retirement tour at New York City’s Arthur Ashe Stadium Monday, where she went head-to-head with Montenegrin tennis player Danka Kovinić.

Williams came out victorious by beating Kovinić 6-3, 6-3 in the first match of what is expected to be her final professional tennis tournament.

She was introduced as the “greatest of all time,” the renowned tennis personality walked onto the court in a glittering ensemble, which featured six layers to represent her six U.S. Open wins.

Her fans cheered her up. Williams’ four-year-old daughter, Olympia, was spotted matching her mom in her own sparkling, black fit with beaded braids.

Later, she took off a few layers of the look to reveal a black figure skating-inspired Nike dress, which she designed and played on Monday night. The tennis dress featured a diamond-encrusted bodice and a matching headband. Her NikeCourt Flare 2 shoes included a diamond-encrusted Swoosh and solid gold lace deubrés with 400 hand-set diamonds.

Apart from her sparkling looks, some celebrities including Anna Wintour, Bill Clinton, Queen Latifah, Anthony Anderson, Hugh Jackman, Mike Tyson and more, were present.

Though she was not able to attend, Oprah Winfrey had a special message for Serena Williams which was shown after the match.

“What’s there to say, years went by in a blink,” Winfrey said as footage of Williams’ storied career flashed across the screen. “’98 feels like yesterday. You’ve given us so much; all we can do is thank you. Thank you for making the bright lights brighter, and the Big Apple bigger. Thank you for showing us how to be graceful, powerful, fearless. Thank you for dressing to the nines and bringing your dancing shoes. Thank you for turning center court into center stage — for bringing the house down. Thank you for showing us what it means to come back, and for never, ever, backing down. Thank you for changing the face of the game — for inspiring the next generation. Thank you for thinking outside the lines and encouraging us to evolve. Thank you for showing us how to love the sport and for always loving us back.”

“Just know, whatever you do next, we’ll be watching,” Winfrey added before ending the heartfelt tribute. “With love, all of us.”