Serena Williams drops retirement hint after winning in Toronto

Serena Williams has hinted that she might retire from tennis soon, after winning her first singles match in over a year.

The 40-year-old beat world number 57 Nuria Parrizas Diaz in straight sets at the National Bank Open in Toronto, her first singles win since the French Open in 2021.

She was knocked out of Wimbledon last month in the first round by Harmony Tan, a match which saw her make her return to the singles court for more than a year.

Williams has been coy about her future plans since returning, but asked in Canada about her motivation to keep playing, she said: "I guess there's just a light at the end of the tunnel.

"I don't know, I'm getting closer to the light. Lately that's been it for me. I can't wait to get to that light."

Asked what the light represented, she replied: "Freedom. I love playing though, so it's amazing.

"But I can't do this forever. So sometimes you just want to try your best to enjoy the moments and do the best that you can."

Williams will be hoping she can find some form in Toronto before the US Open later this month.

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"I was happy to have a win," she said.

"It's been a very long time. I forgot what it felt like.

"I felt like I competed well, and I think that's what I needed to do is just to compete.

"Mentally, I feel I'm getting there. I'm not where I normally am, and I'm not where I want to be. But I think any match that I play, whether I win or lose, it helps me get there.

"Physically I feel much better in practice, it's just getting that to the court.

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"But literally, I'm the kind of person who it just takes one or two things and then it clicks. So I'm just waiting on that to click."

Venus Williams, 42, was unable to win her first singles match since Wimbledon in 2021 losing 6-2 6-3 to Switzerland's Jil Teichmann.

Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina beat Marie Bouzkova in three sets, while ninth seed Emma Raducanu will make her debut in Toronto on Thursday against Italian Camila Giorgi.