This year’s U.S. Open will mark the final chapter in Serena Williams’ prolific tennis career, which includes 23 Grand Slam titles. Though new adventures will soon await the 40-year-old athlete, a return to form seems to weigh a bit heavy on her heart.

In a recent interview with Time magazine, Williams spoke about the strides she’s made in preparation for Monday’s first-round match against Danka Kovinic after being sidelined for much of the past year due to injury.

“I can see my improvement, and I’m like, Dang, I’ll be good in January,” Williams said.

Though there may or may not be an itch to compete in the upcoming Australian Open, which takes place in January, Williams told Time it’s not in the cards.

“I’m not doing that,” Williams said.

Williams first returned to the court June, when she competed at Wimbledon roughly a year after withdrawing from that grand slam event in 2021 due to a left leg injury. Her return to the tournament was short-lived, however, when she was ousted in the first round by Harmony Tan of France.

In the weeks following her Wimbledon defeat, Williams announced her plans to retire after the 2022 U.S. Open. She opened up about the decision in a personal essay written for Vogue’s September 2022 issue.

“I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,” Williams wrote.

“A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”

Williams has been married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian since 2017. The couple shares one daughter, Alexis Olympia, who turns 5 on Thursday.

Regardless of how Monday plays out for Williams, the tennis legend will receive an elaborate sendoff after her first-round match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, according to The Post’s Marc Berman.