Serena Williams found it difficult to say goodbye: the elite of the elite usually do

When the 23-time major champion says she's retiring, maybe it's time to believe her - and for her to believe herself

Maybe the first clue that retirement was going to be difficult for Serena Williams came in her first-person essay in Vogue, where she couldn't even bring herself to say the word. Then there were the interviews throughout her month-long valedictory leading up to and during the US Open, where she deftly sidestepped direct questions and left the door open for a possible return. Even in the cathartic aftermath of Friday night's third-round defeat to Ajla Tomljanovi, the sudden deluge of tears seemed to express a finality that she either could not or would not articulate in words.

I don't think so, but you never know," she said, when asked if she would reconsider her decision. I don't know."