Serena Williams' run in Cincinnati short-lived, as Emma Raducanu posts Round 1 win in straight sets

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Serena Williams was given a hero's send-off after losing in the first round of the Western & Southern Open.

The 2021 US Open champion received a standing applause from the crowd and was praised by her opponent on the court after the match.

Serena's career should be honored by everyone. I am thankful for the experience to have been able to play her and for our careers to have crossed over. She has achieved so much. The court was shared with her.

Williams, for her part, appeared to decline the on-court interviewer as she quickly packed her bags and walked off the court immediately after the match. The microphone that was set up on the opposite side of the net was taken away from the court.

Williams has been through a lot this week. In a first-person essay for Vogue, the 40-year-old announced she would be walking away from tennis in order to have another child.

Williams, who has the most major titles of any player in the Open Era with 23, has admitted to having mixed feelings about retiring.

There is no joy in this topic for me. I feel a lot of pain, but I know it's not normal to say that. It's the most difficult thing I've ever thought of. I don't like it

I don't like that I have to make a decision. I want it to be easy for me, but it isn't. I'm ready for what's next but I don't want it to end.

At the Canadian Open, where Williams lost in the second round, there was an on-court ceremony following the match, and ticket sales skyrocketed. Hundreds of fans lined the street to catch a glimpse of Williams.

There was a large crowd at Center Court on Tuesday and there were many signs in support of Williams. Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who lost earlier in the day, was also in attendance, along with her family.

The second set was all Raducanu, and she closed out the match in less than an hour.

"I think that the crowd was really loud," she said. There was a lot of people at the stadium. They would still be cheering for Serena. I was ready for that.

I was all for it because I knew it would be great to play in her home country. 100% go ahead and cheer if she stops playing.

Williams is expected to play in her final tournament at the US Open. She made it to the semifinals in her last appearance at the event. She made it to the final in two of the last three years.