"I hope she realises that I was pretty good at my job" - Serena Williams on her legacy and influence on daughter Olympia

Tennis legend Serena Williams wants her five-year-old daughter Olympia to learn the importance of hard work and being good at one's chosen profession.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles winner brought down the curtains on her illustrious career at the US Open last year. Despite not playing much in the build-up, Williams ignited hopes of a golden swansong at Flushing Meadows. However, her run was ended by Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round, ending the 41-year-old's bid to move level with Margaret Court.

Williams has had a transcendental career, winning Grand Slam matches in four different decades, having broken out in the late 90s. Nevertheless, she hopes that her daughter Olympia learns the virtues of hard work, discipline and dedication.

In an exclusive interview with E!, she said about her legacy:

"I hope she realises that I was pretty good at my job and the hard work that it takes to be good at it. So, that's what I would hope, just taking away the hard work and the excellence that you have to put your body through and the discipline that you also have to put your body through."

The 41-year-old also spoke about the importance of having a good team around, which can make or break a career:

"How it's important to have a really good team around you and how you can have a good career if you have a good team around you and you can have a different career if you have a bad team around you. And kinda amplifying that in her life as well — meaning your friends or the people that you talk to, you want to make sure that that's quality."

Serena Williams holds the Open Era record for most Grand Slam singles titles, with her last triumph coming at the 2017 Australian Open when she was pregnant.

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How did Serena Williams fare in her last singles match?

Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open - Day 5

Widely regarded as one of the best female athletes across sports, Serena Williams attracted record crowds at the 2022 US Open as fans wanted to catch one last glimpse of her in action before she waded into the sunset.

Having not played much that year, Williams began her campaign for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam by beating Danka Kovinic in straight sets. The then 40-year-old then took out second seed Anett Kontaveit to live on to fight another day.

Williams, though, met her match against Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round. After dropping the first set, she restored parity by taking the second on a tiebreak. However, she ran out of steam in the third, winning just one game.