It might have been a tough thing to consider for Serena Williams after losing in straight sets to Naomi Osaka on Thursday: was this the last Australian Open for the 39-year-old legend?
There are a lot of people who are reading extremely hard into Williams thanking the crowd at Rod Laver Arena with a hand over her heart, perhaps a gesture of what the fans down under mean to her.
When asked about that gesture at her post-match press conference, Williams replied, “If I ever say farewell, I wouldn’t tell anyone.”
After the next question, Williams began getting tearful and walked out:
After answering questions about her future, Serena Williams gets emotional and leaves the room. pic.twitter.com/5zTrOvuor0
— espnW (@espnW) February 18, 2021
She then posted a thank-you note to Australian Open fans on Instagram:
Does that sound like she’s saying goodbye? Everyone will continue to try to read into what she’s saying.
