by ponchi101 This deserves its own topic.

by ptmcmahon Looks like she'll get to go out somewhat on her own terms and end it where it should end.

And yes that was a great read.

As an older sibling with younger siblings who were the more successful athletes I've always related more with Venus myself :) Plus wasn't a huge fan because of the occasional "incidents". But definitely was entertaining to watch all these years.

by the Moz She's a legend. End of.

by atlpam It mentions a few weeks which sounds like the US Open will be her final event.

by ptmcmahon It would be a huge surprise to end it anywhere else.

by meganfernandez
ptmcmahon wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:31 pm It would be a huge surprise to end it anywhere else.
I thought Wimbledon or Paris. She seems to like those events/places better. The US Open has been the site of some ugly incidents. But it's also where it all started for her in 1999, and of course media-wise it's better. But I wasn't sure she cared about the media element surrounding her retirement.

The tournament won't know how long she will last in the draw, so they have to be ready for ceremonies and such in R1 but not really know. The logistics will be a nightmare. Unless Serena agrees to a ceremony on a set date. Any celebrity involvement will have to be planned, not sponteneous.

by ponchi101 I've never been a fan of favoritism, but having her play anywhere other than Ashe would be improper planning. And is should be the last match of either session, giving the tournament time to hold a ceremony and not affect other players.

by ptmcmahon
meganfernandez wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:34 pm
ptmcmahon wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:31 pm It would be a huge surprise to end it anywhere else.
I thought Wimbledon or Paris. She seems to like those events/places better. The US Open has been the site of some ugly incidents. But it's also where it all started for her in 1999, and of course media-wise it's better. But I wasn't sure she cared about the media element surrounding her retirement.

The tournament won't know how long she will last in the draw, so they have to be ready for ceremonies and such in R1 but not really know. The logistics will be a nightmare. Unless Serena agrees to a ceremony on a set date. Any celebrity involvement will have to be planned, not sponteneous.
True. I guess I should say given the timing of the announcement it would have been surprising not to be there. Can't see her announce it and then playing until next Summer.

by ti-amie The end of an era in women's tennis. Based on the current crop it will be a long time before a woman dominates tennis the way she has. I've always been more of a Venus fan but their father said it would be Serena and he was right.

The biggest reveal tennis wise is that she too has a therapist.

by JTContinental
ti-amie wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:11 pm The end of an era in women's tennis. Based on the current crop it will be a long time before a woman dominates tennis the way she has. I've always been more of a Venus fan but their father said it would be Serena and he was right.

The biggest reveal tennis wise is that she too has a therapist.
Same—I’ve always loved Venus and merely liked Serena. Somehow this news is still a little devastating, even if it was sort of expected

by meganfernandez
ti-amie wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:11 pm The biggest reveal tennis wise is that she too has a therapist.
For me, it was her good prognosis for having more children, given her difficulties with Olympia and her age. Maybe she'll have a surrogate. I figured having more kids would bring her career to an end very soon.

I actually thought the article could have been sooooo much better. It's perfectly fine, but with Serena's story, it could have been utterly mind-blowing. The ghostwriter, Rob Haskell, probably wasn't the person for that job. He writes about a lot of female stars for Vogue, but not well, IMO. This is a decent story for a mass audience, not so great for a tennis audience. I hope someone gets a better tennis-centric interview. I'm sure she will write a biography.

by Canucklehead When I heard she was going to retire possibly after the US Open event, I thought this could not be a better scenario set for her. The place that started her Slam career back in 1999 could be where she steps aside from the game that she has become the greatest women's player ever. I cannot even imagine how electric every one of her matches will be when she steps on the court every time at the US Open. She has given so much to the game of tennis and I hope the US Open gives her the send off she deserves.

by meganfernandez
Canucklehead wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 8:29 pm When I heard she was going to retire possibly after the US Open event, I thought this could not be a better scenario set for her. The place that started her Slam career back in 1999 could be where she steps aside from the game that she has become the greatest women's player ever. I cannot even imagine how electric every one of her matches will be when she steps on the court every time at the US Open. She has given so much to the game of tennis and I hope the US Open gives her the send off she deserves.
Question is, when do the stars show up to watch? When does Beyonce put it on her schedule? Every match?
ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:49 pm I've never been a fan of favoritism, but having her play anywhere other than Ashe would be improper planning. And is should be the last match of either session, giving the tournament time to hold a ceremony and not affect other players.
She will play every match on Ashe. As far as a ceremony. I bet she will be part of the planning. She might not want it right after a loss. After the last match could be too late, if it turns out to be midnight. I think they would rather make the second match of the session wait for her.

I wonder if they would name a stadium after her, but only Grandstand is available, and I'm not sure she would want the third-largest stadium. Maybe they wait for a new arena years from now

by Canucklehead
meganfernandez wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 8:49 pm
Canucklehead wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 8:29 pm When I heard she was going to retire possibly after the US Open event, I thought this could not be a better scenario set for her. The place that started her Slam career back in 1999 could be where she steps aside from the game that she has become the greatest women's player ever. I cannot even imagine how electric every one of her matches will be when she steps on the court every time at the US Open. She has given so much to the game of tennis and I hope the US Open gives her the send off she deserves.
Question is, when do the stars show up to watch? When does Beyonce put it on her schedule? Every match?
ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:49 pm I've never been a fan of favoritism, but having her play anywhere other than Ashe would be improper planning. And is should be the last match of either session, giving the tournament time to hold a ceremony and not affect other players.
She will play every match on Ashe. As far as a ceremony. I bet she will be part of the planning. She might not want it right after a loss. After the last match could be too late, if it turns out to be midnight. I think they would rather make the second match of the session wait for her.

I wonder if they would name a stadium after her, but only Grandstand is available, and I'm not sure she would want the third-largest stadium. Maybe they wait for a new arena years from now
That is a great question. I wouldn't wait if I were the stars. I would want to see every point she plays.

by ponchi101 No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.

by Canucklehead
ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:00 pm No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.
But isn't there an Arthur Ashe Stadium?

by Deuce
Canucklehead wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:04 pm
ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:00 pm No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.
But isn't there an Arthur Ashe Stadium?
It was named only after Ashe died.

by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:00 pm No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.
I could see some clamoring for renaming Louis Armstrong, who wasn't even a tennis player, for Serena. I know Armstrong lived nearby, but still... I think Serena deserves a stadium more than anyone, even Martina and Chris, for breaking barriers and setting the Open Era Slam record.

by ponchi101 The one stadium that is named, and the entire complex, are named after players that transcended tennis. If they were because of tennis achievements (ala Rod Laver at Melbourne) they would be the Sampras Stadium, and, in this case yes, the Serena Williams NTC, as they are the winningest Americans ever.
And everybody agrees that the current names are more than appropriate.
Changing Louis Armstrong? Don't know, it has so much tradition behind it.

by Canucklehead
Deuce wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:23 pm
Canucklehead wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:04 pm
ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:00 pm No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.
But isn't there an Arthur Ashe Stadium?
It was named only after Ashe died.
Yes, I would hope that isn't the criteria for getting a Stadium at the US Open named after you. :)

by Deuce
Canucklehead wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:30 pm
Deuce wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:23 pm
Canucklehead wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:04 pm

But isn't there an Arthur Ashe Stadium?
It was named only after Ashe died.
Yes, I would hope that isn't the criteria for getting a Stadium at the US Open named after you. :)
Perhaps it is the criteria.
If so, it is done to honour the person and to keep their achievements and memory alive. And that's fine with me.

Connors was reportedly upset when they named the stadium after Ashe instead of after him. He and Ashe were not good friends, and Connors has been known to be an obnoxious ass.
If it's true that he was upset that the stadium was named after Ashe instead of him, the perfect response would have been "Ok, Jimmy... we'll name a stadium after you. But we'll have to kill you first."

by Canucklehead
Deuce wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:49 pm
Canucklehead wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:30 pm
Deuce wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:23 pm
It was named only after Ashe died.
Yes, I would hope that isn't the criteria for getting a Stadium at the US Open named after you. :)
Perhaps it is the criteria.
If so, it is done to honour the person and to keep their achievements and memory alive. And that's fine with me.

Connors was reportedly upset when they named the stadium after Ashe instead of after him. He and Ashe were not good friends, and Connors has been known to be an obnoxious ass.
If it's true that he was upset that the stadium was named after Ashe instead of him, the perfect response would have been "Ok, Jimmy... we'll name a stadium after you. But we'll have to kill you first."
I have also heard that both Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe are not the greatest of friends, and wouldn't that be something if they named a stadium after John McEnroe before Jimmy Connors? He would never show up there again.

by ponchi101 Uhm, the thing about Connors and Mac not being friends was a bit more complicated.
During the 1984 DC Cup final in Malmo, Connors arrived and found out that he was in the suite next to Mac. He demanded to be moved to ANOTHER HOTEL; Ashe convinced him to be moved to a DIFFERENT floor, but to say that Connors was difficult is being too kind to him.
But.
On one occasion, they were playing. Some fan in the crowd said a couple of things to Mac, who, obviously, lathered him with some choice expletives.
After which, in the words of Mac, the fan "stood up, and UP, AND UP". Mac, telling the story, said he was sure he was going to be pureed in front of everybody. Next thing he knew, Connors had run to his side, wrapped his arm around his shoulders, and said "let's calm down here or this will get ugly, because that guy can beat the :poop: out of both of us".
Connors was a very odd player. When you were on court, he hated you. But then he had a good relationship with the likes of Borg and Nastase, Vilas and Mac. Vitas does not count because he was everybody0s friend.
The one player he really hated was Lendl. And that was well documented.

by Canucklehead
ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 10:15 pm Uhm, the thing about Connors and Mac not being friends was a bit more complicated.
During the 1984 DC Cup final in Malmo, Connors arrived and found out that he was in the suite next to Mac. He demanded to be moved to ANOTHER HOTEL; Ashe convinced him to be moved to a DIFFERENT floor, but to say that Connors was difficult is being too kind to him.
But.
On one occasion, they were playing. Some fan in the crowd said a couple of things to Mac, who, obviously, lathered him with some choice expletives.
After which, in the words of Mac, the fan "stood up, and UP, AND UP". Mac, telling the story, said he was sure he was going to be pureed in front of everybody. Next thing he knew, Connors had run to his side, wrapped his arm around his shoulders, and said "let's calm down here or this will get ugly, because that guy can beat the :poop: out of both of us".
Connors was a very odd player. When you were on court, he hated you. But then he had a good relationship with the likes of Borg and Nastase, Vilas and Mac. Vitas does not count because he was everybody0s friend.
The one player he really hated was Lendl. And that was well documented.
I remember watching videos of Connors matches at the US Open where he would have the fans in a frenzy. He seemed to feed off of it. These videos were late in his career.

by ponchi101 Connors at the USO gave it all. All the good (the 91 match against Pat McEnroe), the ugly (the Corrado Barazutti match in 1977), and the bad (his behavior after losing the 77 final to Vilas). But he was never boring, if you could stomach the boorish.

by ashkor87 I always felt it was good she didn't get #24, there should always be something incomplete, makes it more human...like Bradman scoring zero in his last innings (cricket fans will know..)..Tendulkar never scoring a century at Lord's...

by meganfernandez
ponchi101 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:28 pm The one stadium that is named, and the entire complex, are named after players that transcended tennis. If they were because of tennis achievements (ala Rod Laver at Melbourne) they would be the Sampras Stadium, and, in this case yes, the Serena Williams NTC, as they are the winningest Americans ever.
And everybody agrees that the current names are more than appropriate.
Changing Louis Armstrong? Don't know, it has so much tradition behind it.
It would be so controversial, they probably wouldn't dare. Maybe they could start naming courts inside stadiums. You're playing on Serena Williams Court at Arthur Ashe Stadium. :)

The Miami arena would make sense.

by meganfernandez
ashkor87 wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 1:54 am I always felt it was good she didn't get #24, there should always be something incomplete, makes it more human...like Bradman scoring zero in his last innings (cricket fans will know..)..Tendulkar never scoring a century at Lord's...
Same. Plus, this means she has a reason to come back after having another kid or two. She will play Olympia at Wimbledon for #24. :)
ponchi101 wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 1:32 am Connors at the USO gave it all. All the good (the 91 match against Pat McEnroe), the ugly (the Corrado Barazutti match in 1977), and the bad (his behavior after losing the 77 final to Vilas). But he was never boring, if you could stomach the boorish.
Was Connors worse than Kyrgios?

by ashkor87
meganfernandez wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 11:54 am
ashkor87 wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 1:54 am I always felt it was good she didn't get #24, there should always be something incomplete, makes it more human...like Bradman scoring zero in his last innings (cricket fans will know..)..Tendulkar never scoring a century at Lord's...
Same. Plus, this means she has a reason to come back after having another kid or two. She will play Olympia at Wimbledon for #24. :)
ponchi101 wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 1:32 am Connors at the USO gave it all. All the good (the 91 match against Pat McEnroe), the ugly (the Corrado Barazutti match in 1977), and the bad (his behavior after losing the 77 final to Vilas). But he was never boring, if you could stomach the boorish.
Was Connors worse than Kyrgios?
There was always something mean-spirited about Connors, Kyrgios doesn't give that impression..remember the story about how Agassi used to bring him his strung rackets and Connors blew him off when he tried to speak to Connors..kyrgios would not be mean to a kid.. vut who knows, I dont know him personally so..

by ponchi101 Connors worse that Kyrgios? No. Connors never tanked a match, a set, a game or a point. His interaction with fans was far superior, and he was usually accessible there.
About Connors and Agassi. Connors disliked Agassi because he felt that Agassi was not serious about tennis early in his career. Connors even had some choice words for Sampras after Sampras lost in the QF of the 91 USO and said it was fine, because he no longer had the pressure of being the "USO Champion". Connors exploded, saying "having the pressure of being the USO Champion is everything I have worked for all my life".
Connors behavior and demeanor could be questioned at times. His love for the game, not.

by Deuce ^ Pretty much.
One of the main differences is that Connors was obnoxious, whereas Kyrgios is incredibly immature.

And, yes - you'd never see Connors not trying his best on the court. He'd 'tank' part of a set at times when he was significantly behind in the set - to be fresh for the next set -, but pretty much all players do that in certain situations.
And Connors would never attempt any trick shots or circus shots. While he liked to entertain, he was also all business.

by ti-amie Welp one question is answered...


by Canucklehead There is no denying that certainly players had that love for the game, and Serena is one of those players as well. There were times where she would go the route for the flair of drama on the court, and a lot of that stemmed from her desire to do her best in every match. She hated to lose and she hated not performing at what she thought was 110% every time she took the court. A few of her outbursts on the court and reactions in press conferences might have come across as spoiled, but in my opinion I believe it came down to her desire to always want to perform at her best. She did that most of the time.

I don't know if that is the case with Jimmy Connors, because I really don't know as much about his game as I do of Serena's.

by meganfernandez What were some of Serena's Slams that got away? Such as:

2004 Wimbledon - she should have beaten Sharapova. Never lost to her again, right?
2011 US Open - should have beaten Stosur, right? Rattled by hindrance call? Or just off her game?
2015 US Open - obviously, the Vinci semi
2018 Wimbledon - You could make the case for any of the four Slam finals she reached after having Olympia, but this one was the most winnable, I think. Had breaten Kerber at Wimbledon in 2016 and was just vacant in this match, right?
2019 Australian Open - wasn't a final, but she twisted her ankle vs Pliskova while leading 5-1 in the third set. Didn't call a trainer and have it taped. Couldn't push off on her serve, lost next 6 games. Such a weird decision not to call the trainer.

Are there some more obscure ones, particularly before the 2017 Aussie? Doesn't have to be a final. Just a golden opportunity lost.

by AcesAnnie I have had the privilege to watch the entire Serena Williams career unfold as a tennis fan. Being someone who is only a novice tennis player and grew up and worked on my running all my life, I still have grown to admire the game of tennis and many of the players that I have watched over the many years, including Serena. Whatever path she decides to take after she is completely finished with tennis, whether that be coaching, commentating, or being a mom she will be terrific at it.

by meganfernandez Roger’s message to Serena. Crickets from Sharapova.


by ashkor87
meganfernandez wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:46 am What were some of Serena's Slams that got away? Such as:

2004 Wimbledon - she should have beaten Sharapova. Never lost to her again, right?
2011 US Open - should have beaten Stosur, right? Rattled by hindrance call? Or just off her game?
2015 US Open - obviously, the Vinci semi
2018 Wimbledon - You could make the case for any of the four Slam finals she reached after having Olympia, but this one was the most winnable, I think. Had breaten Kerber at Wimbledon in 2016 and was just vacant in this match, right?
2019 Australian Open - wasn't a final, but she twisted her ankle vs Pliskova while leading 5-1 in the third set. Didn't call a trainer and have it taped. Couldn't push off on her serve, lost next 6 games. Such a weird decision not to call the trainer.

Are there some more obscure ones, particularly before the 2017 Aussie? Doesn't have to be a final. Just a golden opportunity lost.
All we need to do is note how many times Venus beat her at a major! But for Venus, Serena would have won 27 majors ..of course, maybe but for Venus, Serena would have won 0! Cuts both ways

by ashkor87 But yes, Vinci was the one that got away .she just froze on the court, didn't seem to have a game plan at all .failure of coaching, actually..everyone knows Vinci has a tricky game, should have figured out in advance what to do about it .

by led14pa2
ashkor87 wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:38 am
meganfernandez wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:46 am What were some of Serena's Slams that got away? Such as:

2004 Wimbledon - she should have beaten Sharapova. Never lost to her again, right?
2011 US Open - should have beaten Stosur, right? Rattled by hindrance call? Or just off her game?
2015 US Open - obviously, the Vinci semi
2018 Wimbledon - You could make the case for any of the four Slam finals she reached after having Olympia, but this one was the most winnable, I think. Had breaten Kerber at Wimbledon in 2016 and was just vacant in this match, right?
2019 Australian Open - wasn't a final, but she twisted her ankle vs Pliskova while leading 5-1 in the third set. Didn't call a trainer and have it taped. Couldn't push off on her serve, lost next 6 games. Such a weird decision not to call the trainer.

Are there some more obscure ones, particularly before the 2017 Aussie? Doesn't have to be a final. Just a golden opportunity lost.
All we need to do is note how many times Venus beat her at a major! But for Venus, Serena would have won 27 majors ..of course, maybe but for Venus, Serena would have won 0! Cuts both ways
Very interesting topic! I'd add two more old ones to the list:

2003 French Open - Had Henin on the ropes in the semis before Henin controversially raised her hand before Serena's serve. Serena hit a fault, but the umpire didn't give her a 1st serve. Serena would have almost certainly won the final over Clijsters.
2004 US Open - Lost in QF to Capriati in part due to a bunch of awful line calls. There was no challenge system back then. I don't remember who she'd have played next, but the Capriati match was definitely winnable.

by meganfernandez
led14pa2 wrote:
ashkor87 wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:38 am
meganfernandez wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 1:46 am What were some of Serena's Slams that got away? Such as:

2004 Wimbledon - she should have beaten Sharapova. Never lost to her again, right?
2011 US Open - should have beaten Stosur, right? Rattled by hindrance call? Or just off her game?
2015 US Open - obviously, the Vinci semi
2018 Wimbledon - You could make the case for any of the four Slam finals she reached after having Olympia, but this one was the most winnable, I think. Had breaten Kerber at Wimbledon in 2016 and was just vacant in this match, right?
2019 Australian Open - wasn't a final, but she twisted her ankle vs Pliskova while leading 5-1 in the third set. Didn't call a trainer and have it taped. Couldn't push off on her serve, lost next 6 games. Such a weird decision not to call the trainer.

Are there some more obscure ones, particularly before the 2017 Aussie? Doesn't have to be a final. Just a golden opportunity lost.
All we need to do is note how many times Venus beat her at a major! But for Venus, Serena would have won 27 majors ..of course, maybe but for Venus, Serena would have won 0! Cuts both ways
Very interesting topic! I'd add two more old ones to the list:

2003 French Open - Had Henin on the ropes in the semis before Henin controversially raised her hand before Serena's serve. Serena hit a fault, but the umpire didn't give her a 1st serve. Serena would have almost certainly won the final over Clijsters.
2004 US Open - Lost in QF to Capriati in part due to a bunch of awful line calls. There was no challenge system back then. I don't remember who she'd have played next, but the Capriati match was definitely winnable.
Thanks! Good ones.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

by Suliso On the other hand she won three GS's from a match point down. Either could have gotten away easily by a single error or a single ace from an opponent.

by meganfernandez
Suliso wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:57 pm On the other hand she won three GS's from a match point down. Either could have gotten away easily by a single error or a single ace from an opponent.
Nice! Do you remember which ones? I might write an article on this, so this is extremely helpful.

by Suliso
meganfernandez wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 1:03 pm
Suliso wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:57 pm On the other hand she won three GS's from a match point down. Either could have gotten away easily by a single error or a single ace from an opponent.
Nice! Do you remember which ones? I might write an article on this, so this is extremely helpful.
I only remembered that it was three times. After some googling: 2003 AO SF vs Clijsters, 2005 AO SF vs Sharapova and 2009 W SF vs Dementieva

by meganfernandez
Suliso wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 1:38 pm
meganfernandez wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 1:03 pm
Suliso wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 12:57 pm On the other hand she won three GS's from a match point down. Either could have gotten away easily by a single error or a single ace from an opponent.
Nice! Do you remember which ones? I might write an article on this, so this is extremely helpful.
I only remembered that it was three times. After some googling: 2003 AO SF vs Clijsters, 2005 AO SF vs Sharapova and 2009 W SF vs Dementieva
Thanks, nice of you to Google. Next time, tell my lazy butt to do it. :)

by patrick Remember the Dementieva match point where Serena guessed correctly at net where she was below average on that day.

by meganfernandez
patrick wrote:Remember the Dementieva match point where Serena guessed correctly at net where she was below average on that day.
Was that the Wimbledon semi 2008? One of the best matches I have ever seen. Just one that’s burned to to my brain for the quality and tension, not because I am a Serena mega fan.

by meganfernandez Great piece by Zina Garrison, who has been in Serena's inner circle from the beginning
https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/zi ... ms-retires

by meganfernandez Muguruza's op-ed on Serena for El Pais. "I cried when she told us she was retiring, which is very rare for me. Somehow, her goodbye has shut down something inside me; something was extinguished."

https://english.elpais.com/sports/2022- ... ed-me.html