Last week, global broadcaster CNN selected its 50 best Asian street foods, with “lort cha” – stir-fried pin noodle wildly popular among ordinary Cambodians – making the cut.
Lort cha, commonly known as silver-needle noodles in other countries in Asia, has gained wide currency among people from all walks of life and can be found almost anywhere. In general, the noodles are short and fried in a pan along with garlic, cabbage and cauliflower – commonly served with beef or pork, fried egg and fish sauce.
Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said CNN’s selection of lort cha as one of the best Asian street foods would be an opportunity for Cambodians to promote a unique dining experience to visitors.
He said that in general, when tourists visit a new country, they want to taste the most popular cuisine. Sivlin suggested that people working in the hospitality and tourism industries look to promote other tasty Khmer dishes.
Some of the Kingdom’s most well-known foodie sensations include the coconut smoothness of a fish amok, the uniqueness of Cambodian noodles and the peppery sensation of beef lok lak.
In three other ASEAN countries, CNN selected iced coffee, banh mi and pho from Vietnam; nam khao and grilled rice cakes (khao jee) from Laos; and curry noodle soup (khao soi), pork sausages (Isan pork sausages) and crab omelettes from Thailand.
Asia News Network: The Nation (Thailand), The Korea Herald, The Straits Times (Singapore), China Daily, Jakarta Post, The Star and Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Statesman (India), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Japan News, Gogo Mongolia, Dawn (Pakistan), The Island (Sri Lanka), Kuensel (Bhutan), Kathmandu Post (Nepal), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Eleven Media (Myanmar), The Phnom Penh Post and Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei), Vietnam News, and Vientiane Times (Laos).
Water is the primary necessity of life. The rising scarcity of fresh drinking water and health consciousness has helped companies to establish a strong water supply industry in India.
According to the Trade Promotion Council of India, the packaged drinking water bottle market in India is estimated at $24 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $60 billion by the end of 2023.
On the other hand, India ranks among the top 10 bottled water consumers in the world. According to reports by research and analysis firm Statista, currently, India’s annual bottled water consumption amounts to 23,605 million litres, reaching 27,444.7 million litres by 2026.
Since the water business in India has a bright future, its growth has severe and hidden negative impacts on humans and the environment.
If you think it costs only Rs 20 a litre, then you are very wrong.
The data presents the dark story behind the water business and the huge cost that our environment is paying for this. Let’s see how:
Depletion of groundwater
The main source of water treatment plants is groundwater since it is free. Due to no legal framework on groundwater, the person who owns the ground owns the water.
Licensed vendors or companies just drill a hole in the ground and get water for their business leading to a fall in water level in that particular area.
According to a report by DownToEarth magazine, Coca-Cola’s bottling plant is located in drought-prone Kala Dera near Jaipur. It extracts 5 lakh litres of water every day at 14 paise per 1,000 litres. It is just the story of one particular plant.
With a large number of players entering the business, water treatment plants have also grown manifold. There are more than 6,000 licensed water bottling setups under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and 5,735 licensed packaged drinking water brands across India as per several reports.
The list does not include the unlicensed and unauthorized water packaging units, pointing out to the seriousness of groundwater depletion by vendors and companies involved in the business.
Contribution to creating a drought-prone area
Drought Early Warning System (DEWS), real-time drought-monitoring platform data suggests that India’s 21.06 per cent land region is facing drought-like situations.
Amid climate change and change in precipitation pattern water treatment plants are add-on factors to it. As water treatment plants extract around a million litre per day, giving no time to revive or recharge the groundwater.
Contribution to plastic production
The water business industry is not only harming groundwater but also our environment. This industry has a high demand for PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) containers.
According to PETnology India, a website providing information about plastic, the consumption of PET bottles was 1.1 million tons (2020), and the consumption of recycled PET was 0.99 million tons (2020) in India.
It further mentions that almost 5 lakh tons of these were used for bottled water (18%) and fruit drinks (28%) containers.
Contribution to pollution
We all know how plastic affects our environment. According to Indian Beverage Association data, 79 per cent of PET or plastic is used for packaged drinking water.
Last year, replying to a question in the Lower House of Parliament, Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Choubey said that more than 34 lakh tons of plastic waste was generated in 2019-20 and 30.59 lakh tons in 2018-19, doubled from 15.89 lakh tons in 2015-16.
The shift from selling plastic to natural products had definitely affected his business, said 42-year-old Namg Kinine, but he accepted the losses.
Namg Kinine used to be a successful retailer and wholesaler of plastic plates, cutlery and cups, and one pleased to see his business grow.
But he had a change of heart after seeing plastic rubbish dumped almost everywhere he went when travelling the country – even at ecotourism sites.
Seeing that some people did not respect the environment, Kinine, based in Siem Reap town, started to rethink his business model.
Adhering to the “If you want to change the world, start with yourself” quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, Kinine decided to end his business selling plastic products – which had been in operation since 2015 – and switch to only natural products.
“I had been selling plastic products since 2015. But since January this year, I began focusing on using only natural products as I see too much plastic on the streets,” said the 42-year-old.
The shift from selling plastic to natural products had definitely affected his business, he acknowledged, but he accepted the losses.
“Natural products are more expensive than the plastic version. In general, it is mostly foreigners who embrace the move to using natural products, while just a small number of Cambodians do so as they can be twice or three times the price,” Kinine said.
He is the owner of the KH Ecopack, which sells imported products such as paper and rice straws, environmentally friendly food takeaway packaging, bags and cutlery, mostly made from sugarcane pulp known as bagasse.
He acknowledged that generally, such eco products were not 100 per cent natural as a small amount of plastic was mixed in during production to make them stronger but still biodegradable.
Neth Pheaktra, secretary of state and spokesman at the Ministry of Environment, said that Cambodia produces more than four million tonnes of waste per year, and more than 10,000 tonnes a day, according to a report.
In Phnom Penh alone, between 2,700 to 3,000 tonnes of rubbish is produced per day, with 60 to 65 per cent of this organic waste that could be processed into compost or used in other ways.
More than 20 per cent of the waste is plastic.
“We support and encourage more investment into managing and preventing plastic use. The government has issued sub-decrees and regulations on management, particularly the use of plastic bags in supermarkets, in which we have prohibited the import of plastic bags with a thickness of more than 0.03mm by imposing additional taxes.
“We encourage investment in bioplastic production, and in educating people to change their behaviour, in which we apply the 4R principles of ‘reuse, reduce, recycle and reject’,” Pheaktra said.
Sandy Coten, who runs Only One Planet Cambodia, a social enterprise that imports and distributes biodegradable food packaging and reusable home products, believes that there is a market for environmentally friendly products.
She said many people were interested in reducing single-use plastic, with her regularly getting calls and being asked questions.
“The problem is the big difference in price between plastic and eco products. Plastic is toxic to humans and the environment, but it is cheap. It is produced in massive quantities, which drives down the price.”
“When a company starts production of a new product, prices are naturally higher – the cost of equipment and materials, for example, that might not be widely available.
“So any company in Cambodia wanting to produce an eco-product needs to look long term and work to make prices competitive while maintaining quality,” Coten told The Post.
She said she faced complaints about cost all the time, and felt the government could take a very easy first step of making proven and certified eco products VAT exempt.
“In order for this to work, the Ministry of Health or Ministry of Commerce should have a certifying body that examines certifications for granting such exemptions.
“There are many products being sold as ‘biodegradable’ in Cambodia now that are really not, and you could see that clearly through certification.
“I would very happily provide sales information to the tax department if they could give some sort of tax incentive to restaurants and businesses that use eco products and promote places that are eco friendly. I have started doing this,” Coten said.
In response, Kim Sopheak, a spokesman at the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, said biodegradable products made from paper were subject to a seven per cent import tariff, while imported bamboo-based and other products were at 15 per cent because they were completed products.
“Non-paper-based products are subject to a tariff of up to 15 per cent and another special tax because this is in line with plastic products on the tariff list. This complies with ASEAN and global standards. Plastic bags also pay 15 per cent for imported products and 10 per cent special tax.
“A proposed reduction in tariffs on biodegradable products is not likely possible as these products also contain microplastics. If we were to decrease the tariff on them, it would also entail lowering the tariff for plastic-based products, which are environmentally unfriendly, while the world is banning and reducing the use of plastic,” Sopheak told The Post.
The 22-year-old founder of the Ladies Circles project, Man Erafasyra, is actively working towards a healthier environment, recycling plastic bags into useful items with the participation of women in the community to generate income.
Erafasyra said that while natural products were still not common in the market, she encouraged businesspeople to focus on helping the environment as Ladies Circles did.
“Some small vendors cannot afford to not rely on plastic products, so Ladies Circles was created to clean up the plastic bags and recycle them into useful products,” she told The Post.
Ministry of Environment spokesman Pheaktra said the production of bioplastic products using natural raw materials was encouraging and called for further investment to provide other options instead of relying on plastic.
“We urge people to change their attitudes, reduce their consumption of plastics and use alternative products made from natural materials.
“The use of single-use products such as straws has already reduced in restaurants, for example, by replacing them with straws made from paper or bamboo,” he said.
6.6-billion-baht venue to serve as a tourist magnet revitalizing the island’s tourism market
Phuket, September 1, 2022 – Phuket FantaSea is getting ready to launch “Carnival Magic”, the world’s first Thai Carnival theme park. The 6.6-billion-baht park, covering an area of more than 100 rai, will fling open its doors on September 20, just in time for Thailand’s tourism high season. With travelers returning as the COVID-19 situation eases, the theme park expects to welcome as many as 2 million domestic and foreign tourists next year, which should help revitalize Phuket’s economy.
Mr. Kittikorn Kewkacha, President and Chief Executive Officer of Phuket FantaSea Public Co. Ltd. and Carnival Magic Co., Ltd., said: “Building upon Phuket FantaSea’s 22 successful years as the ultimate Thai cultural theme park, we are ready for the next stage – the opening of Carnival Magic – The Magical Kingdom of Lights.”
“The new theme park will offer spectacular Thai-style carnivals augmented by modern technology. Covering an area of more than 100 rai, the venue is located in Phuket’s Kamala Beach area, adjacent to Phuket FantaSea. We expect Carnival Magic to become a new landmark in Thailand that provides tourists with a memorable, unmatched experience,” he added.
Carnival Magic is the world’s first Thai Carnival theme park. Inspired by the fun and colorful parades, carnivals, and temple fairs across Thailand, the park features many interesting and unique attractions and dazzling light decorations that match international standards. The park will offer visitors other-worldly experiences that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The theme park is divided into 4 main zones, namely:
Zone 1: Carnival Fun Fair
In this zone, visitors can make their way through a shopping street and enjoy shopping for high-quality products in a festive, celebratory atmosphere created by a huge array of bright and colorful shops.
Guests can also enjoy all-night-long carnival performances, VR games, snacks & desserts, many photo & selfie opportunities, carnival games, and kiddie rides.
Zone 2: Bird of Paradise Buffet Restaurant
With a seating capacity of 3,000 guests, the grand hall is made to look like a beautiful paradise guarded by 2 giant peacocks fanning their tails. On the menu are more than 100 delicacies from the East and the West, including Indian, vegetarian and Halal dishes.
In the near future, there will be another luxury restaurant called the River of Bliss. Inspired by Thailand’s famous Loy Krathong floating lantern festival, the restaurant will offer set-menus served in beautiful krathong. But before guests make their way to the tables, they will need to get to the Happiness Falls and board the Barge of Happiness which will then lift them 7 meters above ground to the dining hall.
Zone 3 – River Palace
The River Palace, designed to look like a palace in the ancient Kamala Kingdom is an enormous 16,000-square-metre (10 rai) indoor show theater – one of the largest in Thailand and among the largest in the world. The theater with a 70-meter-long and 22-meter-high stage can accommodate 2,200 spectators and will showcase the world’s biggest indoor parade show called the River Carnival.
River Carnival is a 50-minute extravaganza that blends fantasies, festivals, and traditional parades of Thailand augmented with modern technology and special effects. Among the highlights are more than 88 gigantic floats with millions of lights, automation, and cutting-edge special effects. The best feature is the world’s longest float that is more than 70 meters long or about the size of the world’s largest passenger jet, the Airbus A380.
Zone 4 – Kingdom of Lights
Built as an illumination park, this zone features more than 40 million lights to create a dazzling masterpiece that sparks visitors’ imagination. There are 9 areas to explore in the Kingdom of Lights, where visitors can walk around enjoying stunning illuminated decorations and sculptures. The centerpiece is the River of Lights where millions of lights glitter from uniquely designed steel plates called the “luminaries”.
The steel plates used to create the luminaries are over 50 kilometers long and they are installed around a lake. Visitors can enter the area by crossing a bridge, which offers them a panoramic view of millions of lights from all directions.
“In creating Carnival Magic, we were inspired to build something that is uniquely Thai and never before seen anywhere in the world,” said Mr. Kittikorn. “This resulted in Carnival Magic becoming a theme park that broke many records both in Thailand and overseas, including 9 Guinness World Records”
The 9 Guinness World Records that Carnival Magic has set are:
1. The longest single-chassis parade float
2. The most lights used in a permanent light-and-sound show
3. The largest LED sculpture (supported)
4. The largest LED structure
5. The largest popcorn machine
6. The largest outdoor chandelier
7. The largest paper – mache sculpture (supported)
8. The tallest proscenium arch
9. The most LED lights on a van
“We have begun our marketing and communication efforts domestically and internationally through more than 1,000 tour operators. So far, we have received a great response,” Mr. Kittikorn said.
“International tourists account for 70 percent of our customers, while domestic visitors account for the other 30 percent. Among international tourists, we will specifically target those from India, China, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. Carnival Magic will open on September 20, 2022, with the aim of serving some 2 million visitors in 2023,” he added.
“Phuket’s tourism industry is expected to recover and grow now that international tourists have started returning. Phuket’s provincial Tourism and Sports Office reported that thanks to the lifting of the Test & Go requirement on May 1, it can safely expect 5 million international arrivals to the island this year, marking 50 percent of the pre-pandemic level, which was 10 million international tourists,” he said.
“In addition, Phuket is a favorite destination for Thai tourists, especially during the cooler months. The grand opening of Carnival Magic during the high season will not only help boost the Thai economy by attracting visitors who will spend but will also boost local employment and revitalize tourism at both local and national levels. This should help steer the country back on the right track towards growth,” Mr. Kittikorn said.
Carnival Magic will open its doors on Tuesday, September 20. It is located at 999 Moo 3 (next to Phuket FantaSea), Kamala, Kathu District, Phuket Province. For more information, call the Public Relations department at 076 385 222, email pr@carnivalmagic.fun or visit www.carnivalmagic.fun
An image of Thai country singer Jintara Poonlarp towering over New York’s Times Square was praised by the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington on Saturday.
“The 53-year-old Jintara is a living legend in Thailand. She has released over 50 albums and 47 singles and been touring for 33 years,” said the Embassy in a Facebook post.
Jintara is featuring on the world’s most famous billboard as part of Spotify’s “Equal” campaign for women’s empowerment.
The embassy explained that: “Aside from her occasional forays into pop, her songs are mostly Luk Thung, which is Thailand’s version of country music, and Mor Lam, another rural style of song that is similar to rap in that the words are mostly spoken.” It added that she has also won fame in Thai films and TV shows.
Jintara revealed the news of her latest role in a Facebook post two weeks ago.
“Finally,” she wrote, in a post illustrated with her image towering several storeys high over Times Square. “Thank you, Spotify, for letting me be a part of EQUAL THAILAND, a great campaign to support women’s empowerment.”
US magazine Billboard wrote earlier this year: “Spotify launched EQUAL, a global music program as a part of its commitment to advancing gender equity in music. The initiative aims to celebrate women pushing the envelope and inspiring the next generation of artists, producers, and executives.”
EQUAL was launched in response to the music-streaming website’s findings that “only one in five artists on the charts are women. Yet we know how integral women artists’ influence has been on Spotify and the music industry at large. To begin to upend this disparity, we must amplify the work of women creators.”
Other artists featured in the campaign include Thai pop songstress Bowkylion, Saweetie of the US, Griff of the United Kingdom, Duda Beat of Brazil, and Gyakie of Ghana.
Get ready to dance to the funkiest beats created by the likes of DJ Marshmello at “Oh My Ghost: The Freakiest Music Festival” on September 25.
The fest, to be held in Muang Thong Thani, will not only bring together famous foreign and local EDM DJs but will also have a non-alcohol section cordoned off especially for teenagers.
Ariya Banomyong, co-CEO of event management firm CMO PCL, told the press on Friday that his company is aiming to bring concerts and music festivals back to Thailand.
CMO has joined up with the pub Spaceplus Bangkok and event organiser and ticket-selling platform, the Concert, to organise the event.
“As event organisers, we focus the most on the quality of the show, including production, lighting and sound. The aim is to give attendees an excellent, valuable experience,” Ariya said.
“PM Centre and Nerve Creative will take care of the event’s production as they have staff experienced in creating international standard events.”
Chatchaval Teened, managing director of CMO’s concert organising arm, CM Live, said the event will feature a 360-degree centre stage and a jumbotron that will make the stage visible from every direction.
The event, designed along the Halloween theme, will feature many big names including Mavinz1r, Pixzy, Limeslight, Juicy M, Tokyo Machine, ARMHMR, Whatsonot, and the world-famous American producer and DJ Marshmello.
Chatchaval said he expects some 20,000 Thais and foreign fans to attend the event, adding that it will be held in cooperation with the Public Health Ministry. Attendees will be required to link their vaccine passports to their e-tickets.
He said CM Live is planning to hold more concerts and music festivals for people who love EDM (electronic dance music), K-pop and T-pop.
Tony Chen, chairman of Spaceplus Bangkok, said he decided to support the event because it’s an EDM party nobody should miss. After all, he said, his pub’s standpoint is to offer people an unbeatable musical experience.
Tanniti Papatsureechote, managing director of The Concert Application Co Ltd, said this event will showcase Thailand’s ability to hold world-class events.
He reckons the event will be a huge hit, especially since all 3,000 early bird tickets were snapped up as soon as they were put up for sale on Wednesday.
The “Oh My Ghost (OMG) 2022” festival will be held on September 25 from 4pm to 11pm at Thunderdome Stadium in Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi.
Tickets can be bought via https://www.theconcert.com/concerts/ohmyghost2022 from September 5 to 24. Prices are 1,500 baht for the under-20s zone, 4,500 baht for the VIP zone and 3,000 baht for the regular zone.
After watching her mother struggle with insomnia for more than 20 years, Raksaranrak “Candy” Choong, 34, decided to start looking for a solution.
Amedical graduate from Naresuan University, Candy had learned about cannabis and its therapeutic properties and kicked into action as soon as the herb was decriminalised in Thailand.
Her aim was to come up with something tasty that also provided the medicinal benefits of cannabis, and through much trial and error, she eventually came up with the right recipe.
The result was more satisfactory when her mother – the key target of all her efforts – managed to get a good night’s sleep for the first time in two decades.
Candy then began sending samples out to her friends, who responded by saying her CBD-spiked gummies were delicious and should be put on the market.
So, she launched Candy Afterdark cannabis gummies in June 2021, which became a huge hit almost immediately. She said her products became very popular among foreign expats in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket and Surat Thani.
She added that most customers come to her seeking solutions to their problems.
“People often want something for insomnia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] among children, etc. Some customers have also relied on cannabis to deal with pain caused by surgery,” she said.
“It is these people who need help, and our cannabis gummies work well because they are easy to take.
“Normally, I start with a low dose, but this does not mean the product will suddenly start working. Actually, it gradually eases the symptoms and the patient will slowly recover,” she said.
How did it all start?
Despite spending more than two years experimenting and developing her product, Candy still puts her success down to fate.
She said she spent most of her life working for others, and despite wanting to become independent with a business of her own, she never really succeeded.
Her real dream was to work with Thailand’s famous forensic scientist Khunying Dr Pornthip Rojasunan, and to make this possible, she enrolled at Princess Chulabhorn Science High School in Phitsanulok to study science.
Thanks to her good grades, Candy was offered a place in three universities, but she only wanted a medical degree from Naresuan University. The main attraction was that Dr Pornthip had written textbooks for this faculty.
While in university, Candy was given a chance to join the “Work and Travel Project” in the US, where she could work and study as well as improve her English-language skills and gain experience working with foreigners.
After completing her degree on medical science in 2011, Candy joined the Central Institute of Forensic Science to do an internship with Dr Pornthip. There she was trained in crime-scene investigation and collecting evidence. After completing her stint as a forensic scientist, Candy got jobs in many places, including the Department of Health Service Support and the Health Systems Research Institute’s “Helping Patients with Non-Communicable Diseases” project led by Siriraj Hospital.
She also worked with the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS) in producing cosmetics, helped develop a masters’ degree curriculum at Naresuan University and produced the “ThailandToday” show on the NBT World TV channel.
Apart from full-time jobs, Candy also tried her luck as a “gig worker” long before working from home became the norm in Thailand. Her “gig” job was to summarise news and evaluate the content of websites.
Candy dabbled in import-export, but unsuccessfully. She did not achieve much success when she began selling food
with her mother, who had closed up her nursery school in Chiang Mai and moved to Bangkok. However, Candy was taking a wellness course at that time, which would prove to be very useful later.
She also built a network of non-Thai friends while working for a Malaysian real-estate broker, and later began an online lingerie business called “Candy Afterdark”.
However, she eventually gave it up due to low profits and the Covid-19 crisis.
How opportunity presents itself
Then, in the middle of the pandemic, she decided to study the potential of cannabis, especially in Thailand’s medical tourism market. This inspired her to do an online course on cannabis offered by the Northern Michigan University, which taught her how to extract oil from cannabis leaves and start making “gummies”.
Cannabis gummies are a new concept in Thailand and restrictions on which part of the plant can be used made it difficult to create an effective health-enhancing supplement, she said.
However, Candy said, she continued studying the plant to find out exactly what can be extracted from its leaves and flowers. In fact, she said, she was ready to start producing edibles as soon as the plant was decriminalised in Thailand.
Her Candy Afterdark gummies are soft, chewy and do not taste of cannabis. They were an immediate hit when she
began selling them online for 800 baht for every 100-gram package.
The gummies became so popular that she began to branch out by expanding her range to cover gummies that also included THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), cannabis-oil spiked brownies and cookies as well as cannabis flavoured fruit juices named Uni Drink.
Eventually, Candy hopes to train others and share her knowledge with those interested in sharing the benefits of cannabis.
FIFA referee Titichai Nuanchan was killed in car crash after supervising a Thai League match between Nongbua Pitchaya and Ratchaburi on Friday, the Thai League announced.
Titichai, 43, was heading home in Kalasin province from Pitchaya Stadium in Nongbua Lamphu province when his car left a bend on a poorly lit road.
He was pried from the wreckage and rushed to Nong Bua Hospital but succumbed to his injuries at around 10pm on Friday.
Titichai was employed by the Football Association of Thailand as a first-class referee in Thai League 1. He worked as a FIFA referee from 2012 to 2018 and in 2017-1018 became one of the few Thai referees to preside over international matches. His last international game was at the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2018. He also worked briefly in Vietnam’s V League in 2016.
The game on Friday evening ended with Ratchaburi winning 2-0 after goals from Brazil’s Vanderley Dias Marinho in the 16th minute and Cape Verdean Alvin Fortes in the 45th minute.
A defiant Serena Williams bid an emotional good-bye to the U.S. Open with a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday (September 2), in what may have been the last singles match of her glittering career.
Defeat has always been hard to swallow for the fiercely competitive Williams and no doubt the 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 loss to the 46th ranked Australian stung her to her core.
But after a joyous run into the third round there was no shame in a loss to the gritty Tomljanovic, allowing the 23-times Grand Slam winner to exit with dignity intact and head held high.
Her three matches, highlighted by a second-round win over world number two Anett Kontaveit, were a gift to her fans, the relentless never surrender attitude that made her tennis’ dominant player for over two decades on display right until the very final point.
“It’s been a fun ride and the most incredible ride and journey I’ve been on,” Williams, fighting back tears, told the cheering crowd.
Always up for a fight, the 40-year-old came out swinging, forcing Tomljanovic to go the distance.
The Australian needed six match points to deliver the knockout punch and bring an end to an engrossing three-plus-hour slugfest.
Williams had signalled her intention to retire last month, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” but never confirming the U.S. Open as her final event.
Given the opportunity to put speculation to rest that the U.S. Open may not be the end, Williams left the door open just a crack.
Asked whether she might be tempted to return to tennis, she responded: “I don’t think so but you never know.”
For fans, however, the message was clear, the U.S. Open would be where Williams would take her final bow.
“It’s been a fun ride,” said a tearful Serena Williams as she accepted the passionate screams of 24,000 feverish fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After 27 years, 23 major titles and a little over 1,000 matches, her professional tennis career (we think) was finally over.
The good news, for the millions who idolise her, is that Williams went out in style. No whimper here, just the bang of aces raining down from her racket as she pushed Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic past the three-hour mark.
The drama was as gripping as it had been during Williams’s final performance at Wimbledon, almost ten weeks ago, when she lost to Harmony Tan in a deciding-set tie-break.
This time, she clung to the final moments of her tenure with an iron grip. Tomljanovic served for the match at 5-1 in the deciding set, and moved to 40-30 with reasonable comfort. Then the resistance kicked in, with Williams banging Tomljanovic’s serve back past her with a primal yell.
Four more match points came and went, as Williams kept coming up with world-class groundstrokes as if she were playing at her very peak. And yet, to Tomljanovic’s credit, she held her nerve in the face of what could well have been the loudest cheers ever heard on this stadium.
Eventually, at the sixth time of asking, Williams put one last forehand in the net and the contest was over, by a 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 scoreline. It was the first time she had gone past three hours at the US Open, although the duration of 3hr 5min fell just short of the 3hr 11min she lasted against Tan at Wimbledon.
The standard of the opposition, and of the match itself, was considerably higher than it had been during that memorable night on Centre Court. While Tomljanovic’s ranking might be unspectacular, at No46 in the world, she is an unusually clean ball-striker who delivers a heavy punch off both wings.
Despite a sticky period early in the second set, when an inspired Williams ran out to a 4-0 lead, Tomljanovic made sure that the contest was physical throughout. Little by little, she wore down Williams’s endurance and took advantage of the 11-year age gap.
Tomljanovic also handled the on-court interview with great class, telling Mary Joe Fernandez that “I am feeling really sorry because I love Serena just as much as you guys. What she has for me and the sport of tennis is incredible and I never thought I would have the chance to play her in her last match.”
“Simply the best” was the stadium DJ’s apposite choice as the players shook hands and prepared themselves for their post-match chat. The fans waited to hear their thoughts, on a night when the US Open broke attendance records for the third time in this extraordinary week.
Williams became emotional as she thanked her parents, saying “These are happy tears, I guess. I don’t know. And I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus, so thank you, Venus. She’s the only reason that Serena Williams ever existed.”
She also seemed to leave a bit of wiggle room on the question of whether this was actually her final match. When Fernandez asked her if she might reconsider, she replied ”I don’t think so, but you never know.”
Half-an-hour later, though, Williams sounded clearer in her thinking when she addressed reporters in the interview room at Flushing Meadows.
“It takes a lot of work to get here,” she said. “Clearly I’m still capable. It takes a lot more than that. I’m ready to be a mom, explore a different version of Serena. Technically in the world I’m still super young, so I want to have a little bit of a life while I’m still walking.”
So what will Williams do on her first day as a civilian? “I’m definitely resting tomorrow,” she replied, “and then probably spending some time with my daughter.” And then, after a moment’s thought, she added the punchline. “I think I’m going to be karaoke-ing tomorrow.”
Serena Williams loses at the US Open, as it happened
End of an era Thanks for joining me on a historic occasion. That final game and the entire match will live long in the memory. Full credit must go to Tomljanovic for producing what must have been one of her greatest ever performances.
As for Serena, 186 consecutive weeks at No. 1, four-time Olympic gold medalist, 23-time grand slam titles, 367 grand slams wins, six US Open titles and 73 career titles = the greatest!
Michelle Obama reacts Congrats on an amazing career, Serena Williams! How lucky were we to be able to watch a young girl from Compton grow up to become one of the greatest athletes of all time. I’m proud of you, my friend—and I can’t wait to see the lives you continue to transform with your talents.
James Blake
Serena. Thank you for being you and the inspiration to so many men and women. I’ve never seen a more intense competitor and it was an honor to share a court with you and watch history. Simply the best.
Tiger Woods Serena Williams you’re literally the greatest on and off the court. Thank you for inspiring all of us to pursue our dreams. I love you little sis!!!!!!
Tomljanovic reacts I’m feeling really sorry just because I love Serena just as much as you guys do. What she’s done for me, for the sport of tennis, is incredible.
I never thought I’d have a chance to play her in her last match when I remember watching her in all those finals, so this is a surreal moment for me.
I just thought she would beat me, so the pressure wasn’t on me. Even to the last point, I knew that she’s in a posiion to win even when she’s down 5-1.
That’s just who she is and she’s the greatest of all time. Period.
Serena in tears She thanks her mum, dad and fans: It all started with my parents and they deserve everything. I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus. It’s been a fun ride.
The end One last twirl to the crowd and standing ovation. Simply the best by Tina Turner plays around the stadium.
Williams* 5-7, 7-6, 1-6 Tomljanovic (*denotes next server) Williams return long, 15-0. Williams forehand winner down the line, 15-15. Tomljanovic forehand long, 15-30.
Tomljanovic forehand winner, 30-30. Williams forehand into the net, MATCH POINT.
Williams is not done yet, she goes after Tomljanovic serve and finishes with a drive volley winner, deuce.
Williams forehand return into the tramlines, second match point. Williams forehand down the line and Tomljanovic can’t get the ball back in play, deuce.
Tomljanovic keeps her nerve and hits another forehand winner, third match point. Saved again by Williams with a forehand winner.
Williams is rushed and her backhand goes long, fourth match point. Brilliant again from Williams. She is digging in here.
Tomljanovic forehand long, break point Williams. Williams forehand long, deuce.
As we pass the three hour mark, Williams puts a forehand long, fifth match point.
Williams forehand return winner. INCREDIBLE TENNIS. Tomljanovic forehand into the net, break point Williams. Williams forehand long, deuce. The tension is unbearable.
Unreal speed by Williams to reach a drop shot and she puts away a backhand overhead, break point.
Sensational tennis again from Tomljanovic to keep her nerve and put away forehand winner, deuce. We are approaching the 14 minute mark.
Tomljanovic ace, sixth match point. Williams forehand into the net, GAME SET MATCH TOMLJANOVIC.
