Serena Williams loses final grand slam match, eliminated from U.S. open

Tennis legend Serena Williams was eliminated from the U.S. Open in the third round of her match with Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović.

The 23-time grand slam singles champion had announced prior to the tournament that she would "evolve away from tennis," according to CNN.

Tomljanović praised Williams after the match saying "She is the greatest of all time. Period."

"What she has done for me and the sport of tennis is incredible," she continued.

Williams expressed doubt that she would continue to play the sport professionally after the match, but did not rule out the possibility, saying "you never know."

The celebrated athlete further thanked the contributions of her family to her life and career. "It all started with my parents and they deserve everything," she said. "I wouldn't be Serena if there wasn't Venus, so thank you Venus."