Watch: Serena Williams' daughter Olympia and rest of Toronto crowd give 23-time Slam champion a standing ovation as she breaks down after final Canadian Open appearance

Serena Williams' last ever Canadian Open appearance ended in tears on Wednesday, as the American legend fell in straight sets to Belinda Bencic in the second round of the 2022 edition.

Having announced earlier this week that her retirement was imminent, the 23-time Grand Slam champion took on the Olympic gold medalist hoping to make one last deep run at the WTA1000 tournament. However, she was no match for the effervescent Swiss, who put all sentimentalities aside to beat the 40-year-old 6-2, 6-4 and go through to the next round.

It was an emotional affair for the former No. 1, especially with her family also watching from the stands. Olympia Ohanian, Williams' five-year-old daughter, gave her a standing ovation as she bid adieu to the crowd in Toronto for one last time in her career, a gesture that was also reciprocated by the rest of the crowd at the Sobeys Stadium.

The tournament organizers thanked the 23-time Grand Slam champion with a colorful bouquet on her exit from the event, a small token of appreciation for her years of contribution to the sport.

Williams, feeling the enormity of the situation and the love that was showered on her all night, bid the spectators a tearful goodbye, walking off the court with her head held high despite the disappointing final result.

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Serena Williams turns her attention to Cincinnati Open up next

Following her loss against Belinda Bencic, Serena Williams will now turn her attention to the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati next. The WTA1000 tournament is scheduled to take place next week, the final tournament in the 23-time Major winner's lead-up to the US Open.

The American is a two-time winner at the event, having won the 2014 and 2015 editions back-to-back. While she defeated Ana Ivanovic in the first final, she outdid Simona Halep the following year to defend her title. The former World No. 1 also has one more final appearance to her name, losing to Victoria Azarenka in 2013.

The 40-year-old is making use of her protected ranking this year to grace the courts of Cincinnati for one final hurrah. She will be hoping to win at least a couple of matches in the competition, which will help her confidence massively as she heads into Flushing Meadows at the end of the month.

Although unlikely, the New York Major represents one final shot for the American in equaling Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles — a record she has been chasing in vain since 2017.