- The US Open crowd surprised Serena Williams, who announced she will soon retire.
- After her first round victory on Monday, fans raised cards in unison to spell out: "We Love Serena."
Serena Williams fans paid tribute to the retiring tennis star at the US Open with special card displays at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Williams, who announced earlier this month she would be "evolving away from tennis" after the US Open, beat Danka Kovinić in the first round on Monday.
Williams was interviewed on the court by reporter Gayle King after her victory, and King then announced that the crowd had a surprise for the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
"Before you go, we have one more surprise for you," King said, before prompting the crowd to raise colored cards in unison to spell out "We Love Serena."
Williams smiled at the reveal and replied: "I love you too."
—US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2022
Williams announced that she would be stepping away from tennis by way of an emotional column in Vogue.
The 40-year-old said she had made the decision to call time on her career in order to focus on raising her family and her business ventures outside of tennis.
Monday's crowd display at Flushing Meadows was organized in case Williams, who had only won one singles match in over a year before the tournament, did not beat Kovinić in the opening round.
But the American produced a trademark display to beat her opponent 6-3, 6-3 and ensure that she would have at least one more outing on her home turf.
"When I walked out, the reception was really overwhelming," Williams said after the match. "It was loud and I could feel it in my chest. It was a really good feeling.
"It's a feeling I'll never forget. It meant a lot to me."
But Williams said such such moments will not changer her retirement plans. She said that while she still "loves" playing, she remains ready to move on.
"The more tournaments I play, I feel like the more I can belong out there," she said. "That's a tough feeling to have, and to leave knowing the more you do it, the more you can shine.
"But it's time for me, you know, to evolve to the next thing. I think it's important because there's so many other things that I want to do."
Williams plays Estonian second seed Anett Kontaveit in the second round on Wednesday.