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Serena Williams paused for a fleeting moment and laid her hand on her heart as she walked heavily out of the Rod Laver Arena.

She waved to the fans - a little longer than is usually the case after a loss.

It looked like a last farewell greeting on this hot summer Thursday evening in Melbourne.

When, after the painful 3: 6, 4: 6 against the Japanese Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of the Australian Open, she broke off her press conference in tears and left the room in the middle of an answer, the tennis world began to puzzle even more.

Will it come to nothing with this longed-for 24th title in a Grand Slam tournament?

Is the setting of the all-time record of the Australian Margaret Court, who is controversial because of anti-gay and anti-lesbian statements, forever denied to perhaps the best player in tennis history?

Will Serena Williams, who will turn 40 on September 26th, return to Australia again?

Will she still make it to the top in Paris, Wimbledon or New York?

Williams bursts into tears

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Williams had responded with a smile when asked if she had said goodbye to her fans Down Under.

After a five-day lockdown, spectators were finally allowed to return to the facility in Melbourne Park - and witnessed the tumultuous scene when Williams left the stadium.

"I dont know.

If I ever say Farewell, I wouldn't tell anyone.

So ... ”Williams later said to the few reporters present on site.

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It was followed by question eight.

Whether she could explain her numerous minor mistakes, especially considering how well she had played in the tournament so far.

Whether it was just a bad day (which is so nicely paraphrased in English as “Was it just one of those bad days at the office?”).

"I don't know," said Williams, swallowed, paused.

"That's it," she said, started crying, got up and left the interview room tearfully.

Williams last won a Grand Slam tournament in 2017.

At the Australian Open.

She was already pregnant then.

Their daughter was born that year, but Williams returned to tennis and almost to his old strength.

But almost.

The unshakable dominance of longtime number one was gone.

Chasing the record

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After the birth of her daughter, she reached a Grand Slam final four times and lost a Grand Slam final four times: 2018 in Wimbledon against Angelique Kerber and at the US Open against Osaka, in 2019 in Wimbledon against Simona Halep (which she is now in Melbourne had clearly beaten in the quarterfinals) and at the US Open against Bianca Andreescu.

And of course you are running out of time in the hunt for the Grand Slam record.

Williams opened the game against Osaka with a break and led 2-0 after a few minutes, but then the Melbourne winner of 2019 and US Open winner of 2018 and 2020 put off her short-term nervousness and left Williams with a "powerlessness “Back on the pitch, as Eurosport expert Barbara Rittner aptly analyzed.

The 23-year-old Japanese used her first match ball after only 75 minutes.

Instead of Williams, she will now face Jennifer Brady from the USA in the final on Saturday, who beat Czech Karolina Muchova in three sets 6: 4, 3: 6, 6: 4.

Williams says goodbye to fans

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Williams found no way to beat Osaka that day.

In contrast to the scandal of the 2018 New York final, everything remained peaceful this time.

Back then, the final ended in a scandal when Williams called the referee a "thief" and later accused him of sexism.

Serena Williams (r.) Congratulates her conqueror Naomi Osaka

Credit: AFP / WILLIAM WEST

After forbidden signs from their coach Patrick Mouratoglou, a smashed bat and severe criticism of the referee, Williams was cautioned three times and finally punished with a deduction to 3: 5 in the second set.

Osaka won 6: 2, 6: 4 and thus won their first Grand Slam title.

This time Williams congratulated her superior opponent fairly online with a hug - and later wrote a few lines on social networks to "Melbourne and my Australian fans".

She felt honored to be able to play in front of the fans, thanked her for the support and wished she could “have done better for you today”.

She closed her emotional contribution with the words: “I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

I adore you. "