• In a heartwarming moment captured on video yesterday, star tennis player Serena Williams tearfully hugged her opponent, 19-year-old Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu, after retiring from the Rogers Cup final.
• Williams was forced to retire after sustaining a back injury, resulting in Andreescu claiming the championship title.

It’s obvious to anyone even dimly aware of sports that Serena Williams wears her entire heart on her sleeve when she steps onto the tennis court. This fact was only solidified at the Rogers Cup women’s singles final yesterday in Toronto, where Williams was forced to retire from the game after sustaining a back injury, effectively handing the championship title to her opponent.

Sitting on the sidelines, the tennis superstar looked despondent as she wiped away tears. Then, her opponent, 19-year-old Canadian athlete Bianca Andreescu, approached Williams with her arms outstretched. As the watching crowd cheered them on, the two shared a tearful embrace, a sweet moment reinforcing the amazing sportsmanship between women athletes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Cajt-APGC/?utm_source=ig_embed

“Are you okay?” Andreescu can be heard asking Williams. “What’s happening?”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do it today,” Williams said, according to BBC. “I tried. It’s been a tough year, but we’ll keep going.”

Andreescu continued to comfort the 23-time Grand Slam winner, the outlet reported. “Serena, you made me cry. I know how it is to pull out of tournaments, it’s not easy,” she said. “This wasn’t the way I expected to win. You are truly a champion. I’ve watched you win so many times, you are truly a champion on and off the court.”

Andreescu and Williams hug on the court.
ICON SPORTSWIRE GETTY IMAGES

By the time Williams withdrew from the match in the first set, the Canadian tennis player was up by three-to-one, according to ESPN.

Before her match with Andreescu, Williams won Friday’s quarterfinal with Naomi Osaka, the first time the two competed against each other since their buzzed-about US Open match last year.

From: Harper’s BAZAAR US