Serena Willaims’ exit from the 2021 Australian Open has tennis fans wondering about the superstar’s future in the sport. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was emotional following her loss to Naomi Osaka in the semifinals Thursday.

Williams put her hand over her heart and waved to the crowd while leaving the court, prompting a question about her potential retirement from a reporter. The 39-year-old ended up abruptly leaving her post-match press conference on the verge of tears.

“I don’t know. If I ever say farewell, I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Williams said when asked if she was saying farewell to the Australian Open crowd for good.

The defeat means Williams will now go more than four years since winning her last Grand Slam championship. The 2017 Australian Open put Williams one major victory away from tying Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slams.

Williams won her first Grand Slam 22 years ago at the U.S. Open. The 2020 ASB Classic marked her first singles title in three years.

In 2019, Williams said she didn’t plan on retiring anytime soon.

There’s certainly no shame in losing to Osaka, who is the No.3 ranked player in the world and won the 2020 U.S. Open in September. Williams reached the semifinals of last year’s U.S. Open before only making it to the second round in the French Open.

Williams defeated No.2 ranked Simona Halep in straight sets in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Williams entered the tournament ranked 11th in the WTA rankings.

Williams was the highest-paid female athlete each year from 2016-2019, according to Forbes.

Serena Williams's last Grand Slam title win was in Melbourne in 2017
Serena Williams's last Grand Slam title win was in Melbourne in 2017 AFP / William WEST
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