US Open: 'I for no be Serena if Venus no exist' - Serena Williams tok as she wave bye-bye to tennis

Emotions full ground as Serena Williams wave bye-bye to di US Open - and her ogbonge career - afta she lose to Australia Ajla Tomljanovic on a trilling night for New York.

Williams wey go turn 41 next month, expect am to be her final match.

E go di end a 27-year professional career, wey bring 23 major singles wins and make many pipo label di American as di greatest of all time.

Williams lost 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 and tears begin run comot her eyes afta she lose.

Di former long-time world number one save five match points for wetin prove to be di final game but dey powerless to stop a sixth.

Almost everyone wey fit, stand to dia feet wen she comot di court on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

As she wave goodbye and give her signature twirl, Tina Turner pop classic 'Simply The Best' begin play loudly for di sound system.

Wen dem ask her if she go reconsider retiring afta her performance dis week, Williams say: "I literally dey play my way into dis and dey get beta. I suppose don start sooner dis year. I don't think so, but you never know."

Williams dey full wit emotion when dem interview her for di middle of di court, she thank her family, team, di crowd and her fans across di world for dia support ova di years.

"I thank everyone wey dey here, wey don dey my side so many years, decades. Oh my gosh, literally decades," Williams tok, wey play her first professional tournament as a 14-year-old for 1995.

"But everytin start my parents. And dem deserve everything. So I dey really grateful for dem.

"And I no go be Serena if my [sister] Venus no dey, so thank you, Venus. She be di only reason wey Serena Williams ever existed."

Tomljanovic, wey don move go di fourth round and go play wit Russia Liudmila Samsonova, hail her opponent as she take di microphone.

Di world number 46 produce one outstanding performance to block out di noise and sense of occasion wey show for her clinical hitting for di final stages of a brutal contest wey last for three hours and five minutes.

'Legend forever'- tributes to Serena Williams

Tributes dey flood in from and far beyond di tennis sphere, wit former United States First Lady Michelle Obama saying: "How lucky we be to be able to watch one young girl from Compton grow up to become one of di greatest athletes of all time.

"I dey proud of you, my friend - and I no fit wait to see di lives you continue to transform with your talents."

Ophary Winfrey say:

Among colleagues on for di WTA Tour paying tribute na Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia, with di latter describing her as "such a legend", while on di men's side, 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal say Williams na "amazing champion".

Elsewhere from di world of sport, swimming great Michael Phelps praise Williams' tenacity and drive.

"Her tennis accomplishments speak for demselves, but one of di things wey I admire about her na she simply no dey quit," di 23-time Olympic champion tok.

"On or off di court her will, her strength, her determination... she simply never give up. She's a great example to us all."

Golfer Tiger Woods, wey dey Williams' player box for her second-round win over Anett Kontaveit, say: "You literally na di greatest on and off di court. Thank you for inspiring all of us to pursue our dreams."

NBA great Magic Johnson say: "Serena don mean so much to sports, di game of tennis, di world, every little girl, and even more to every little black girl across di globe.

"Serena prove say you fit dream bigger dan where you be from. From South Central Los Angeles, to di greatest di world don ever seen… what a story!"

Williams produce one last thrilling performance for A-list crowd

Williams for long don pass ordinary tennis player and dat na sign of her status - as an American icon and one of di world most recognisable sport stars - she announce her retirement for one essay for glossy fashion magazine Vogue.

Although she no use di word retirement itself, say she dey "evolve away" from di sport, her plan na to end her glittering career dis fortnight for her home major.

Like every night she has appear dis week, Williams enta di court afta she dey introduced as di 'Queen of Queen's' - di borough of New York where di tournament hold - for one specially-commissioned video montage wey American rap star Queen Latifah narrate.

A-Listers come out in force for Ashe dis week, first na Vogue editor Anna Wintour and golf superstar Tiger Woods.

On Friday night, na R&B singer Ciara and her husband Russell Wilson, wey be one of di kontri biggest NFL stars, alongside members of Williams' family.

Elsewhere, tennis great Billie Jean King, film director Spike Lee and actress Rebel Wilson also dey watch.

How Williams' final match play out

Waiting for one of di greatest icons for di sport, as one partisan home crowd dey whipped up, go test di mettle of even di most nerveless players.

Williams breeze in wit Tomljanovic wey already don dey for di court.

Di American look more tense and e show for di first game, Tomljanovic no even shake when she break her opponent serve.

But Williams settle quickly for di next game as Tomljanovic no fit consolidate, going a break ahead for 5-3 and serving for di opening set.

Then one poor game show for di worst possible time for Williams. Unforced errors from her racquet contribute to Tomljanovic breaking back for 5-4 as did, almost as crucially, a net cord trickling back to Williams' side of the court at 30-30.

Growing in confidence as a result of the break, Tomljanovic hit clean winners off both wings - either side of a double fault from Williams - to break again for 6-5 and leave her serving for the opener.

She race into a 40-0 lead and seal di set for di third opportunity wit one inch-perfect forehand winner.

Seeing Williams trailing comot di crowd inside di world biggest tennis stadium somewhat subdued.

Not for long, however. Di world number 605 break for a 2-0 lead for di second set and move 4-0 ahead.

One slip in concentration allow Tomljanovic to claw back one of di breaks, but Williams locked in again and held from deuce for 5-2.

Anticipation hang for air as Williams try to level di match for di first attempt, but she miss four set points and dat triggered a fightback from Tomljanovic.

Sensing Williams need dia help, di crowd begin dey chant her name around di cavernous arena going into di tie-break and she respond wit a composed passage of play to finally level di match afta one 84-minute set.

Now dis na straight one-set shootout.

Williams look like say she dey suffer dip in energy - understandably afta her physical efforts dis week in only her fourth tournament in more than a year - as she fall 5-1 behind for di decider.

Di end looked inevitable but not before she muster one last act of resistance.

For one final game wey last 15 minutes and 22 points, she eventually succumb by planting a forehand into di net, wey lead to di final - potentially loudest - ovation of her career.