Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams were both left in tears after the Dane's glittering tennis career ended in a third-round defeat at the Australian Open on Friday.
The former world number one, who announced in December that this would be her final tournament, lost 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 to lower-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.
The unseeded 29-year-old Wozniacki brings the curtain down on a career that saw her win 30 WTA titles, with her sole Grand Slam triumph coming in 2018 at Melbourne Park.
She was in tears when the end came at the hands of 78th-ranked Jabeur and just under two hours later, her eyes were still red and puffy as she arrived at her post-match press conference.
"I was told there are tissues here. I see the tissues in case I need them, I think I'm cried out," said Wozniacki, who was given a round of applause by reporters.
She was also given a generous reception by Melbourne Arena crowd after hitting her last shot in tennis -- "I finished my career with a forehand error. Those are the things I've been working on my whole career," she joked to the crowd.
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Choking back tears, Wozniacki, now ranked 36, added: "Guess this is just how it was meant to be." Wozniacki, who made her professional debut in 2005, was carried triumphantly across court by her Polish-born father -- who is also her coach -- Piotr.
She also hugged husband David Lee, the former NBA star, as Neil Diamond's hit song "Sweet Caroline" reverberated around court.
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"We have a great life for the rest of our lives together, but I'm going to miss her out on tour."