Serena Williams’s retirement is no fairytale — it’s a heartbreaking choice between family and career

The tennis great’s decision is a stark reminder that even in 2022, women’s time is still not our own, writes Megan Maurice

 Serena Williams has announced her imminent retirement from tennis.

Retirement from sport rarely plays out the way it is depicted in movies. We picture an athlete finishing with a win against the odds, having achieved everything they wanted out of the sport and moving happily into the next phase of their life.

In reality, very few athletes finish with a win. No matter how hard they wish for it, they walk away having lost a final, or without making a final at all. And all too often retirement is forced — through injury or non-selection — and the athlete is left with a niggling feeling that they left unfinished business behind.