"Welcome to the retirement world, again" - Serena Williams to Tom Brady as NFL quarterback retires for the second time

American quarterback Tom Brady's retirement announcement has prompted a response from Serena Williams, who chose to 'evolve away' from tennis late last year.

Brady had previously announced his retirement a year ago before changing his mind and returning for a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Wednesday (February 1), the seven-time Super Bowl winner announced his retirement via social media with a simple message to his fans, after his previous retirement announcement caused quite a stir in the sporting world.

"Good morning, guys. I’ll get to the point right away: I’m retiring. For good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning, I figured I’d just press ‘record’ and let you guys know first. So, I won’t be long-winded. You only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year," the legendary quarterback announced.

Taking note of his announcement, Williams commented on his post by beginning her message to Brady on a tearful note stating that she was saddened by his move.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion also quipped that she was welcoming the 45-year-old "to the retirement world again" in a pointed reference to his previous retirement announcement from February 2022.

"I'm getting teary-eyed watching this. Sad to see you go. Welcome to the retirement world again....Again," Serena Williams wrote.

Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, an avid NFL fan, also reacted to Brady's post and wished for him to enjoy his "evolution".

"All love, dude. Legendary run. Enjoy your evolution. The best is yet to come," he wrote.

Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian have reacted to Tom Brady's retirement announcement.

Having won more Super Bowls than any other player in history, Tom Brady is now headed into a career with Fox Sports as an NFL analyst.

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"I see me out there" - Serena Williams on what she thinks when she looks at her home tennis court

Williams opened up about what tennis means to her after retirement

Serena Williams has kept fans guessing about her possible comeback to tennis. In a recent interview on CBS Mornings, she spoke candidly about what she misses from the game.

The 41-year-old stated that while she feels relieved that she does not have to train as rigorously as has done for most of her life, the sight of her old on-court photographs brings out the 'pain'. She also said that the sight of her home tennis court brought images of herself training relentlessly to her mind.

"I feel relieved when I look at the court. I feel like I am so happy I don't have to train for two hours today. I feel more pain just looking at old pictures," she said.

"I see me out there. I see me training. I see me grinding," she added, with a touch of emotion.