MELBOURNE: Veteran Sam Stosur said Sunday that the Australian Open would be her final tournament, ending a 23-year career in which she won a singles Grand Slam title and seven others in doubles.

The 38-year-old Australian’s greatest moment came when she defeated Serena Williams to win the singles crown at the 2011 US Open, which she described as “the pinnacle” of her career.This week will mark her 21st Australian Open.

“That was certainly a dream of mine to achieve that, and I did,” she told reporters of her Flushing Meadows triumph. “That’s a moment I’ll never forget.

“I’m very fortunate that I have so many great memories, yeah, from the sport, winning, losing, travelling, on and off the court,” she added at Melbourne Park, where she will play in the doubles with France’s Alize Cornet.

Stosur reached a career-high ranking of four in the world in singles and one in doubles after making her Grand Slam debut at the 2002 Australian Open.

She won four Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, most recently at the 2021 US Open alongside China’s Zhang Shuai, and three mixed doubles titles.

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“I didn’t know what I could do,” she said, looking back to her professional debut more than two decades ago.

“I dreamt what I would like to do and I certainly achieved that and way more than what I could have ever imagined. So I can walk away being very proud.”