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Anett Kontaveit revealed in Netflix's tennis documentary that she "never again" wanted to play Serena Williams in the atmosphere she faced at the 2022 US Open. At the 2022 US Open, Williams was playing the final tournament of her career.
To no one's surprise, the crowd showed up and stood behind Williams. In the US Open second round, over 20k people in the stands loudly supported Williams during the American's 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-2 win over Anett Kontaveit. “I’ve never seen so many people on Arthur Ashe before.
It’s super loud, they’re all cheering for her. I am at her home, playing her in her house," Kontaveit said in Break Point, per Express-Sport. At the time, Kontaveit was the second-ranked player in the world. “She just suddenly changes gears and starts playing better.
The crowd goes crazy. It’s difficult to handle. The whole match was emotionally one of the hardest things that I’ve gone through on court," Kontaveit reflected.
Kontaveit after the Williams match: I never want to do this again
“It’s not about me losing to Serena.
It was just super overwhelming, like, I never want to do this again," Kontaveit admitted. 10 months after playing Williams in the American's final tournament, Kontaveit is also set to retire. On Tuesday, 27-year-old Kontaveit announced she would be retiring after Wimbledon.
Recently, Kontaveit was diagnosed with lumbar disc degeneration in her back. "Hi friends. Today I am announcing that I am ending my career as a competitive athlete. After several doctor’s visits and consultations with my medical team, I have been advised that I have lumbar disc degeneration in my back.
This does not allow for full-scale training or continued competition. Therefore, it is impossible to continue at the top level in such a highly competitive field. Tennis has given and taught me a lot, and I am very grateful for that.
It has been important for me to bring the Estonian flag to the tennis courts and to be able to play in front of my supporters and fans all over the world. I am ready for new challenges after my last effort as a professional tennis player – to enjoy the game and compete as hard as I can at Wimbledon," Kontaveit announced.