TORONTO – Serena Williams, who mentioned this week she is going to quickly name time on her storied tennis profession, departed the WTA Toronto Masters for the final time Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Belinda Bencic.

The second-round defeat by Switzerland’s reigning Olympic gold medallist was hardly surprising, with the 40-year-old Williams competing in solely her third match of 2022.

Bencic fired eight aces and broke Williams twice within the first set and as soon as within the second, advancing on her first match level after 78 minutes.

But as Bencic herself mentioned within the post-match interview on court docket: “tonight is about her.”

Williams’s farewell on-court interview was threaded with emotion.

“I love playing here, I’ve always loved playing here,” she mentioned, choking up as followers who cheered her all through the match known as out their appreciation.

“I wish I could have played better tonight, but Belinda was playing so well.”

Williams, who turns 41 subsequent month, had crushed Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz on Monday for her first singles victory because the 2021 French Open, 14 months in the past.

But it despatched shockwaves by way of the game when she revealed in an essay in Vogue journal and an Instagram put up on Tuesday that “the countdown has begun” to her retirement from the game.

Williams did not specify an precise retirement date however is anticipated to compete subsequent week in Cincinnati earlier than travelling to the US Open, which begins on August 29.

She has lifted the US Open title six instances, together with her first Grand Slam triumph on the age of 17 in 1999.

“It’s been a pretty interesting 24 hours,” mentioned Williams, who stays one shy of the all-time document of 24 Grand Slam singles titles received by Margaret Court.

“Like I said in my article, I’m terrible at goodbyes,” she mentioned, her voice breaking.

“But, goodbye,” she mentioned, then including with fun “Toronto.”

‘A JOY PLAYING HERE’

“I’ve always had an amazing time here on and off the court,” Williams mentioned. “I’ve had some really good matches and some really cool wins.

“It’s been a pleasure enjoying right here all of these years.”

Williams’s match was preceded by a video tribute played for fans. Before she left the court she was presented with jerseys from the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs — and with a child’s version of the same for daughter Olympia.

In explaining that she was “evolving away” from tennis in the Vogue article, Williams said she wanted to focus on family life and new business ventures.

Her appearance highlighted a day that saw US teenager Coco Gauff — who says Williams was “the explanation why I play tennis” — overcome 13 double-faults to battle past Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and into the third round.

Gauff beat Rybakina 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/3) while world number one Iga Swiatek — who beat Gauff in the French Open final this year — sailed past Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 6-2 in 55 minutes.

Gauff lost out on four chances to close out a straight-sets victory as a quartet of match points came and went.

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina, aided by Gauff’s service struggles, had looked as if she might pull off another marathon victory after squeezing past Marie Bouzkova in the first round only for Gauff to finally prevail.

Swiatek, in contrast, needed just 55 minutes to advance. The top-seeded Pole, with six titles this season, saved six of the nine break points she faced.

“From the primary apply I performed right here I felt actually good,” Swiatek mentioned.

Defending champion Camila Giorgi made it to the third spherical with a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Belgian Elise Mertens. Spanish fourth seed Paula Badosa lasted for simply 13 video games earlier than retiring as she trailed 7-5, 1-0 towards Kazakh Yulia Putintseva.