Serena Williams is a GOAT athlete, even if she retires before breaking Margaret Court's Grand Slam record, tennis legend Tommy Haas says

• Serena Williams will retire as one of the greatest athletes ever if she decides to call time on her career, says Tommy Haas.
• Williams, 39, hinted she could be ready to retire after losing to Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of the Australian Open.
• "She would rank with the top athletes of all time, both men and women," Haas told Insider.

Serena Williams will retire as one of the greatest athletes ever if she decides to call time on tennis career, says German tennis legend Tommy Haas.

Williams, 39, hinted that she could soon be ready to retire after losing to Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this month.

Following the defeat, Williams placed her hand on her heart and saluted the crowd, before breaking down in tears in her post-match press conference and saying: "If I ever say farewell, I wouldn't tell anyone."

Haas told Insider that if that was indeed Williams' final ever goodbye, she will bow out as one the GOAT athletes across all sports.

"She would rank with the top athletes of all time, both men and women," he said when asked about Williams' legacy.

"What she has done in the game of tennis, you know, for how long at that level, I think if you think about competitiveness and determination, and when you look at her life - how many setbacks she has had in terms of close encounters of health issues, being pregnant and not knowing it a couple of years ago when she won her last Slam in Australia - as a female athlete she's one of the top ones for sure.

"What she's done for the game of tennis and maybe even for women's sports in general, it's truly a big impact."

Haas added that he believes Williams will continue have a similar impact even after she has retired.

"Once she's done with tennis as well as a professional athlete, she's going to continue to inspire the next generation, that's the kind of person she is," he said.

"She's always going to be involved."

Williams started her professional career in 1995 aged just 14 before winning her first Grand Slam, the US Open, four years later.

She's since won 22 more Slams, moving her to within just one of the Open Era record, which is held by Margaret Court, who won 24 between 1960 and 1973.

Haas says he believes that determination to match or even better Court's record will keep Williams going to just a little while longer yet.

"23 Grand Slams is almost the record," Haas said. "I know deep down as the competitor she is she wants to break the record.

"I think ultimately that's why she's still playing because she wants that number and she's going after it."

Haas spoke to Insider as part of his new partnership with sports technology and equipment brand Slinger Bag, which is focused on innovating game improvement equipment for ball sports such as tennis.