"I'd love nothing more than for Serena Williams to give us a thrill in the first week, but it’s going to be a weird scenario, like every match could be her last" - Andy Roddick

Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick is hoping to see Serena Williams enthrall tennis fans with her power-packed game during the upcoming US Open. However, he is also mindful of the fact that every match could be her last. Williams recently announced her decision to hang up her racquet after the US Open, which she will enter using her protected ranking.

During her opening match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, Williams suffered a torn hamstring, forcing her to retire mid-match. The American icon could not play another match for the next 12 months. She returned to this year's grass-court Major as a wildcard entrant, but lost to Harmony Tan in the first round.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion won her first match in 430 days when she downed Nuria Parrizas-Diaz at the Canadian Open. The second round saw Belinda Bencic beat Williams in straight sets. The 40-year-old's next task was at the Cincinnati Open. The tennis world waited with bated breath as she was about to take on Emma Raducanu for the first time. The 19-year-old Brit outclassed her 6-4, 6-0.

In a recent interview with the New York Post, Roddick expressed his excitement about Williams' ultimate tournament as a professional tennis player. He stated that much of the tournament is going to be about her and hoped that the legend enjoys herself amidst the hype.

"Obviously, it’s going to be all things Serena Williams as long as she’s in the tournament, and rightfully so," Roddick said. "I'd love nothing more than for her to kind of give us a thrill in that first week, but it’s going to be a weird scenario with that, just like every match could be her last. I hope she enjoys the innocent parts of it along the way because there’s going to be a huge hype mechanism around it."

Speaking about the youngsters on the roster, Roddick picked Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz to do wonders.

"How Coco Gauff does I think is going to be a big deal. She’s kind of progressed, but we’re waiting for that huge breakout. On the men’s side, the electric young guy to watch is Carlos Alvarez. I think he’s gonna win multiple Grand Slams," Roddick added.

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"I feel a great deal of pain" - Serena Williams on retirement

Serena Williams to retire after the US Open

Serena Williams turned pro in October 1995 and after ruling the tour for 27 years, she has finally decided to call it a day. The 23-time Grand Slam winner will aim to win the 2022 US Open and draw level with Margaret Court's record for the highest number of Grand Slam titles.

Although the legendary player awaits the next chapter in life, she mentioned in her retirement note in Vogue magazine how difficult it was for her to step away from tennis.

"I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring," Williams said. "I really wish I felt that way. There is no happiness in this topic for me. I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate that I have to be at this crossroads. I’m torn. I don’t want it to be over, but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next."