When Zina Garrison became the last player to defeat Chris Evert at the 1989 US Open, she famously said, “It might not be the way I want people to remember me, but at least I'll be remembered.”
So, too, may be the case for Ajla Tomljanovic in the wake of her career-ending victory over Serena Williams in 2022, sending the 23-time Grand Slam champion into her evolution away from tennis.
Tomljanovic may yet achieve much more in her career; after all, the Croatian-born Aussie is in the midst of a career-best stretch—one that includes a second straight Wimbledon quarterfinal and a career-high ranking of No. 38 earlier this season. But if she were to follow Williams into retirement tomorrow, both her legacy and her place on a to-be-printed Trivial Pursuit card are secured.
The 29-year-old humorously reflected on her fate after the match:
Q. Your name is probably going to be the answer in a lot of trivia questions. What do you make of playing this part in tennis history?
AJLA TOMLJANOVIC: I mean, no one's going to pronounce my name right (laughter). That's going to suck.
But, I mean, I don't think I've of been part of tennis history, so that's pretty cool. I do feel a little bit like the villain. Like I said in Cincinnati, I really did want to play Serena before she retired.
But, yeah, I mean, if I was the loser today I'd probably be really sad. I don't want to say I'm sad, but just conflicted a little bit.
Into the second week of the US Open for the first time in her career, Tomljanovic could make that card even longer by rounding it out with a maiden major victory; unseeded and very much looming, she’ll play fellow fourth-round debutante Liudmila Samsonova for a spot in the quarterfinals.
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