"Never missed a chance to complain about something; Stop drinking Victim Poison, it destroys your joy" - Talk show host Jesse Kelly criticizes Serena Williams' retirement announcement

Serena Williams' emotional letter announcing her tennis retirement has drawn criticism from talk show host Jesse Kelly.

In her retirement announcement, Williams expressed that she wants to grow her family. She also stated she would not have had to make the hard choice between her family and tennis if she were in the position of a male tennis player at the age of 41.

Williams is in the midst of her final few weeks as a professional tennis player. In a recent column for Vogue, the 23-time Grand Slam champion admitted that she was unhappy to be retiring, but had made the choice to sacrifice her tennis career.

"Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family,” Serena Williams wrote. “I don’t think it’s fair. 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 labor of expanding our family.”

Reacting to that essay, Kelly, who is the host of talk radio show The Jessy Kelly Show, expressed disagreement with Williams' sentiment. He claimed that the American tennis superstar "never missed a chance to complain" despite achieving a lot.

"Serena Williams rose from Compton, California to being a tennis champion worth over $200 million. Her face in on billboards. She flies in private jets. And never missed a chance to complain about something. Stop drinking Victim Poison. It destroys your joy," Kelly wrote in a post on Twitter.

Earlier, senior journalist Kelvin Mackenzie had expressed a similar view on Williams' retirement announcement.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams is preparing ahead of a mothwatering clash against reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. Williams, who is set to retire after the US Open, received an emotional farewell after her second-round exit at last week's Canadian Open in what was her last ever appearance at the tournament.

Iga Swiatek expresses desire to play Serena Williams before retirement

National Bank Open Toronto - Day 5

Serena Williams is set to face one of the rising stars of the sport, as she is scheduled to take on Emma Raducanu in the Cincinnati first round. Now that she is in the final phase of her career, current World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has expressed her desire to face the 23-time Grand Slam champion before she retires.

Swiatek has never played against Williams, and earlier this week she said that she hopes to play the former World No. 1 at least once.

"It would be the last chance to play her," Swiatek said during a press conference at the Cincinnati Open. "I'd love to, if only to see how it is to face her on the other side of the net."

Swiatek further spoke about her admiration for Williams and her nervousness whenever she is around the American superstar.

"When I look at her, I kind of suddenly forget that I am here as the World No. 1. I see Serena and it's, 'Wow, Serena,' you know? I feel like I am a kid from kindergarten just looking at her," Swiatek said further.

In her retirement announcement, Serena Williams stated that once she is done playing she will devote more time to her family as well as growing her venture capital firm Serena Ventures. At the US Open, Williams will have one last shot at equaling Margaret Court's all-time record of most Grand Slam singles titles won (24).