today 06:50 | American tennis player Serena Williams ended her journey at the US Open, which was probably the last tournament of her career. UPDATED 7:50 O HLASY The former world number one lost on Saturday night in the 3rd round to the Australian Alja Tomljanovic after a three-hour battle 5:7, 7:6 (4) and 1:6, but she has not yet definitively announced the end of her career. When asked if she might reconsider her planned end, she replied on court: “I don’t think so, but you never know.” Moments later, at a press conference after a direct question, she joked: “I’ve always liked Australia.” Williams, who will celebrate the end 41st birthday in September, she was aiming for the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament in January.The six-time New York champion first knocked out Danka Koviničová from Montenegro 6:3, 6:3, and in the second round, surprisingly, the second player in the world ranking, Anett Kontaveitová from Estonia, 7:6 ( 4). serve, which was repeated in the 11th game, and Tomljanovičová converted the third set point in the next. The second marathon set lasted up to an hour and 23 minutes. The playing legend took the serve of her eleven-year-younger opponent in the second and fourth games and already led 4-0. However, the 48th ranked player in the WTA was able to lower the score, warding off four break points in the long eighth game and leveling at 5:5 in the tenth. The set reached a tiebreak, which Williams won 7:4. In the decisive third, the Australian already broke her, even though she started again with a lost serve. However, she immediately equalized and took a 5:1 lead. Even in this situation, Williams did not lay down her arms. In front of the sold-out stands at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, she deflected five match points, but could not manage the sixth and ended the tournament after three hours. Touching scenes followed. Williams addressed the fans, family, sister and her opponents directly on the court. “It’s been a fun ride. It’s been the most amazing ride of my life. I’m grateful to every single person in my life who ever said, ‘Come on Serena. You got me here,'” she said. She gave special thanks to her parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, who guided her and older sister Venus to the top in tennis: “It all started with my parents. They deserve everything. And I wouldn’t be Serena if it wasn’t for Venus, so thank you. She is the only reason Serena Williams ever existed.” Serena Williams Source: SITA/AP Even her opponent praised her career after the match: “I’m really sorry because I love Serena as much as you do. What she has done for me, for this sport, is incredible. I never thought I would be to have a chance to play her in her last match. I remember watching her in all those finals so it’s an incredible moment for me. I knew she was capable of winning on the last ball when she was 1-5 down. She’s just like that , is the best ever. Period.” Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles. She won the last one at the Australian Open 2017 when she was already pregnant and carrying her daughter Olympia. She did not achieve the coveted 24th singles trophy from the big four events, which would equal the historical record of Australian Margaret Court. The American won her first Grand Slam title in September 1999 in New York, when she was seventeen years old. During her career, she won Wimbledon and the Australian Open seven times, the US Open six times and enjoyed a triumph at Roland Garros three times. The former world number one returned to the courts after a one-year break in June with a loss in the opening round at Wimbledon. The Tunisian Ons Jabeurová defeated the American Shelby Rogersová 4:6, 6:4, 6:3 in the 3rd round as the fifth seed. In the duel for advancement to the quarterfinals, she will play against the 18th seeded Russian Veronika Kudermetova, who outclassed the Hungarian Dalma Gálfiová 6:2, 6:0. The Chinese Šuaj Čang continues to dominate, defeating the Slovak Anna Karolína Schmiedlová from the 2nd round, she won over the Canadian Rebecca Marinová 6:2, 6:4. In a battle between two seeded American women, the twelfth seed of the tournament, Coco Gauff, defeated the 20th seed Madison Keys smoothly 6:2, 6:3. 2019 winner Bianca Andreescu from Canada lost to seventeenth seed Caroline Garcia 3:6, 2:6. Doubles – 3rd round: Ajla Tomljanovičová (Aus.) – Serena Williamsová (USA) 7:5, 6:7 (4), 6:1 Coco Gauffová (USA-12) – Madison Keys (USA-20) 6:2 , 6:3 Caroline Garcia (Fr.-17) – Bianca Andreescu (Can.) 6:3, 6:2 Alison Riskeová-Amritrajová (USA-29) – Wang Si-jü (China) 6:4, 3:6 , 6:4 Ľudmila Samsonova (Rus.) – Aleksandra Kruničová (Serb.) 6:3, 6:3 Shuai Chang (China) – Rebecca Marinová (Can.) 6:2, 6:4 Veronika Kudermetovová (Rus.-18 ) – Dalma Gálfiová (Germany) 6:2, 6:0 Ons Jabeurová (Tun.-5) – Shelby Rogersová (USA-31) 4:6, 6:4, 6:3