🎾 Serena Says So Long To Tennis

We're back, it's Wednesday, 10 August. It's good to be back after a few days of annual leave. It wasn't quite a White Lotus-type holiday, nor was it Weekend at Bernie's. It was probably more like The Hangover, except no tiger. Anyway, in that time the tennis world has fallen in on itself because the GOAT has called it quits! 

⏱ 1358 words = 7 minutes

👀 Top gun misses...

THE MAIN GAME

🎾 Serena Williams calls time on her tennis career

A month out from her 41st birthday, tennis legend Serena Williams is "evolving away from tennis" to focus her time on growing her family. 

Golden points: In an article in Vogue magazine, Williams effectively announced her retirement, but she says she never liked that word, so it's an evolution.

• And she hates it. She says she feels a great deal of pain, finds no happiness in it and it's the hardest thing she could ever imagine. But when it comes to playing on or raising a family, she's choosing the latter.

• She says she's been trying to have a second child, after daughter Olympia, with her husband Alexis in the last year.

• Williams says retirement was a taboo topic in her household to the point where even mentioning it would reduce her to tears.

• She says she spoke to golf icon Tiger Woods, who told her to give it her all for 2 weeks which led to her comeback at Wimbledon. She lost in the 1st round but will have one last crack at the US Open later this month.

• Williams has 23 grand slam singles titles, one short of the record held by Australian Margaret Court. Williams says she'd be lying if she said she didn't want the record, even saying she should have 30-plus grand slams, but is content if she finishes with 23 (plus about a billion other records).

• Along with raising a family, Williams says she'll be focusing on her business, Serena Ventures, and looks forward to getting up each morning and jumping on Zooms. That'll change!

They said it: "My goodness do I enjoy tennis. But now, the countdown has begun. I have to focus on being a mom, my spiritual goals and finally discovering a different, but just exciting Serena. I'm gonna relish these next few weeks," - Williams on Instagram. 

They (also) said it: "When Serena steps away from tennis, she will leave as the sport’s greatest player. After a career that has inspired a new generation of players and fans, she will forever be known as a champion who won on the court and raised the global profile of the sport off of it," Billie Jean King recognises Williams as the GOAT.

What's next: Williams is through to the 2nd round at the Toronto Open. She plays tomorrow and then it's onto the US Open, which starts on 29 August in New York. 

QUICK SINGLES

🏉 NRL: Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has been suspended and fined for his Salmon spray. Stuart's comments about Panthers player Jaemon Salmon, whom he called a "weak-gutted dog", have seen him suspended for 7 days and fined $25k of his own money. It's the 1st time a coach has been suspended over press-conference comments and it means he'll miss Canberra's crucial game against the Dragons this Sunday. 

🏉 AFL: Carlton's finals hopes have taken a bump from the AFL tribunal. The Blues will be without star midfielder Patrick Cripps for 2 weeks - ie the rest of the regular season - after a jury found Cripps guilty of rough conduct on Brisbane's Callum Ah Chee, so he's been suspended. The Blues are in 7th spot on the ladder and play the Demons and Magpies in the final 2 rounds.  

🏉 AFL: Collingwood has reportedly come to the table with a solution to the annual Port Adelaide prison bar jersey debate. There's a whole history behind Port's black and white prison bar strip (fun fact: it used to be magenta and blue) and the Pies refusing to let them wear it. But, a report says the Pies will let Port wear the design if the colours are teal and black. Let's see how this goes down with Port fans but it's a start. 

🏎 F1: Alpine is pretty certain it will take Aussie F1 rookie Oscar Piastri to court if he doesn't honour his contract. How certain is 'pretty certain'? Well, Alpine team boss, Otmar Szafnauer says it's more than 90 per cent likely to happen if Piastri doesn't stick around and drive his car next year. The thing is, Piastri has been linked to McLaren and the driver who will reportedly make way is fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo. 

⛳️ Golf: Cameron Smith's defection to the LIV Golf tour is looking more and more likely. Yesterday, fellow Aussie golfer Cameron Percy said Smith and Marc Leishman are "gone" and have signed with Greg Norman's Saudi-backed rebel tour. Smith hasn't confirmed either way, but reports say he'll leave after the FedEx playoffs finish at the end of this month. 

🏏 Cricket: Former South African Test umpire Rudi Koertzen has died in a car accident near Cape Town. Koertzen, 73, was one of the best international umpires during his career of 30 years and was known for his signature 'slow finger of death' signal when giving batters out. The South African team will wear black armbands as a tribute in their Test against England next week. 

LEFT OF FIELD

🏎 F1: There's no doubting Lewis Hamilton has the need. The need for speed. But he also really, really needed to be in the latest Tom Cruise movie Top Gun: Maverick, so he called up his mate Cruisey and begged him to be in it. Hamilton said he'd be happy to be sweeping the floors in the background. Cruisey (to his mates), went about 10 steps better and got him a cameo as one of the fighter pilots. What a guy! But, the filming schedule clashed with the F1 season, so Hamilton had to turn Cruisey down. Don't you hate it when work gets in the way?! 

📽 Highlight reel: Jeez, Glenn Maxwell can make hitting sixes look easy. Check out this wristy flick from 30 seconds onwards in Maxi's innings for the London Spirit in The Hundred. 

📸 Photo finish: Thoughts on NBA star Kelly Olynyk wearing a snapback cap on his wedding day? 

THE POLLING BOOTH

Last Thursday's result: 28.6% of readers say they belong in Gryffindor at Hogwarts, but 30.36% said they preferred Lord of the Rings over Harry Potter. 

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING (THAT'S NOT THE COMM GAMES)

• ⚾️ 9:00am - MLB - Red Sox v Braves - Fenway Park, Boston - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏏 3:00am (Thursday) - The Hundred - Phoenix v Brave - Edgbaston, Birmingham - Foxtel, Kayo

THE MANAGER'S OFFICE

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