‘She Was Grinding’- NFL Giants’ Star Gives Reason Behind Viral Video of Serena Williams’ Last Match

Being a champion athlete isn’t easy. In order to succeed, you need to have a lot of guts, perseverance, and determination. Serena Williams is certainly one of them.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner is widely considered one of the sport’s all-time greats. However, her last dance came in this year’s US Open after her third-round exit. There were many who reacted to this particular match. From celebrities all around the world, NFL star Saquon Barkley was one of them. Earlier, he gave an explanation for his viral video of Serena’s last match.

Barkley explains the reason behind his viral reaction

NFL Giants’ star Saquon Barkley was in the house to witness Serena Williams play in the third round of the US open 2022. He was as excited as many other fans in the world. However, his reactions went viral on social media. So during the show, Monday Night Football on ESPN+ he went ahead and gave the reasons for his video going viral. 

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“I was getting into it and I put myself in that situation and in the moment. I am not good at tennis, I only played it one time. Obviously, she didn’t get the win. She didn’t win the whole thing. But obviously it was her last match. She was grinding and I was locked in and joining,” said the 25-year-old.

Especially after Serena announced her retirement from the US Open, the Giants’ star realized how crucial each hit was. Growing up, Barkley was clearly inspired by Williams’ tennis career and became a huge fan. There was no way on Earth that he was going to miss this game.

The journey of Serena Williams in this year’s US Open

The 40-year-old started her run at the US Open with a victory over the Montenegrin player Danka Kovinic. Following that, in the next round, she went on to defeat Anett Kontaveit, the current World No.3. 

Although she gave it her all, the 23-time Grand Slam winner couldn’t get past Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia and lost to her in the third round. Tomljanovic eventually beat her 7-5, 6-7, and 6-1. On the other hand, Serena also competed in doubles with her sister Venus. But the Williams sisters failed to make it past the first round.

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It’s widely speculated that Serena Williams’ last match against Ajla Tomljanovic would be the final match of her career. After that match, Serena was quite emotional and thanked the crowd, her family, and her friends for their unwavering support throughout her career.