'We will all miss Serena Williams, but the sport will carry on,' said Michael Stich

The 23-time Major champion Serena Williams is still eager to play on a high level and chase notable titles against the rivals from the top, despite turning 40 in August.

Serena came to Melbourne with high hopes, playing her best tennis since returning to action in 2018 and scoring five notable victories to reach the semis. The American couldn't advance into the final following a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Naomi Osaka, leaving Australia mighty disappointed and raising concerns about her retirement.

The former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich is aware that the entire tennis world will miss Williams once she decided to quit. However, he also believes that the sport will survive, as it did many times before in similar situations.

"The sport is more significant than any athlete. We've seen that in the past with Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert when I was active. We have had so many great players and immense personalities that turned the sport into what it is today. The sport has seen them go by, and that will be the case with Serena Williams, just like it has been before."

"We will all miss her and remember her great success; still, we will be happy about the current players and their abilities on the court. Those players will also be valued regarding their accomplishments. I wouldn't worry about that at all," says Michael Stich.

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