Chris Evert explains why it is 'perfect time' for Serena Williams to retire

• Tennis News
• Serena Williams

American tennis legend Chris Evert thinks it is "a perfect time" for Serena Williams to finish her pro tennis career. Williams, who is turning 41 next month, is planning to retire after this year's US Open. In recent years, Williams has established herself in the business world and she has also been giving her best to be a great parent to her four-year-old daughter Olympia.

“She’s 40-years-old,” Evert noted during her interview with The Guardian. “She’s lost to players she would normally beat and she hasn’t trained because of injuries. She also has so many wonderful things in her life and so, instead of getting frustrated and sinking down the rankings, this is a perfect time for her to go out”.

Evert on Williams' US Open chances

Williams was out for a year before returning to singles action at Wimbledon. This season, Williams is 1/3 in singles. Williams is clearly past her prime, and even though Evert admits it's a long shot Williams wins the US Open, she is not ruling it out.

“It’s a long shot, but if I were to pick 10 women who had a chance, she would be there," Evert said. Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam champion and she will likely finish her career without tying or breaking Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slams.

Even though Williams doesn't own the all-time Grand Slam record, some think she is the one that deserved to be considered as the greatest player of all time. Evert, a former 18-time Grand Slam champion, offered an interesting perspective when asked if Williams is the GOAT.

“It’s such a tough question. In her era she is the greatest of all time. Then there’s the most accomplished career – how many tournaments you won and how consistent you were and I always include Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova alongside Serena because in my era they were the greatest of all time," Evert explained.