American Serena Williams was swept in the first round of the WTA tournament in Cincinnati on Tuesday by Britain's Emma Raducanu 6-4, 6-0.
Serena Williams, who announced her retirement at the age of 40 after the US Open at the end of the month, quickly left the court after her crushing defeat, without a word to television reporters.
"
I was nervous from the first to the last point... Serena is dangerous and can come back from any situation
," said Emma Raducanu, after her victory over the American with 23 Grand Slam titles.
“
We all have to pay tribute to Serena and her incredible career
,” she added, saying she was “
grateful
” to have been able to face the ex-world number one.
"
Everything she has accomplished is a source of inspiration
," said the young Briton.
Serena Williams has played little in 2022, playing just four games, due to injury.
His last singles victory on the WTA circuit dates back to June 4, 2021, in a victorious 3rd round at Roland-Garros, a few weeks before withdrawing from the first round of Wimbledon due to a leg injury.
She was then absent for almost a year, only making her return to singles at the end of June at Wimbledon, where she was beaten by Frenchwoman Harmony Tan.
Venus also beaten
Seven times crowned in singles on the London turf and former undisputed world No.1, Serena Williams has now fallen to 407th place in the world.
Her last Grand Slam title dates back more than five years, at the 2017 Australian Open. Since then, she has been chasing in vain behind a 24th title that would allow her to equal Margaret Court's record.
Raducanu, 19, had revealed herself last year on the London lawn of Wimbledon, by reaching the 8th finals, when she was in 338th place in the world before the tournament and that she had never before won every game on the circuit.
She then created a huge surprise by winning the US Open.
In Cincinnati, the young Londoner, 10th seed, took a 4-1 lead in the first set, with only one fault against ten for Williams.
On the same day, Venus Williams, Serena's older sister, lost 7-5, 6-1 to Czech Karolina Pliskova, former world number one.
In men, the Australian Nick Kyrgios, 28th in the world, beat (7-5, 6-4) the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
He will next face American Taylor Fritz, who crushed Argentina's Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-1.