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Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Sport
Paul Sullivan

Paul Sullivan: Serena Williams’ goodbye at the US Open is off to a memorable start — with plenty of fanfare

Serena Williams Ted Williams Open US Open Tom Brady Gayle King LeBron James Michael Jordan GOAT Tennis

Serena Williams won her first-round match in the U.S. Open over Danka Kovinić Monday night and was sent off to a blissful retirement.

Or so it seemed. There were tributes on court from CBS News personality Gayle King and tennis great Billie Jean King, a video highlight reel narrated by Oprah Winfrey and a card stunt from fans that spelled out “We Love Serena” with a heart emoji.

It was one of the sweetest goodbyes you’ll ever see in professional sports, befitting a champion who dominated her sport and helped change tennis for good.

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