Serena Williams makes her final match in Canada, losing to Bencic at the National Bank Open

TORONTO — Serena Williams sells out Sobie's Stadium I looked around the crowd for a fan who had just yelled, "Serena, you're the best."

"Thank you. I love you all," Williams said as she thanked the more than 12,500 spectators who watched her last game in Canada. Williams lost 6-2, 6-4 to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the second round of the National Bank Open on Wednesday. rice field. Williams, who turns 41 this September, announced his intention to retire at the end of the season on Tuesday. A video tribute to Williams played in her tribute. Words of thanks and congratulations came from world number 11 Coco Gauff, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, women's tennis pioneer Billie Jean King and more.

Knowing that her second round match against 12th seed Bencic could be Williams' last match in Canada, her fans flocked in droves. The stadium was dotted with signs with messages like "Thank you, Serena", "Canada loves you" and "I miss you".

"I love playing here. I always loved playing here," Williams said on the court after the loss. "I wish I could have played better, but Belinda played really well today."

Her 23-time Grand Slam champion said she received three big rounds of applause before the match started. rice field. It's when she's out on the court, when she meets Bencic and the referee before the warm-up, and when she's officially out for the match. she announced.

"It was very memorable," Williams said of the outpouring of love after Vogue published an article she wrote announcing her retirement. } "Like I said in the article, I'm not good at breaking up. But goodbye, Toronto." Bencic, who has won his two wins over Williams in five games, both Nationals his bank his Open, is still horrified by the American, who many consider to be the greatest tennis player of all time. He said he was.

"She's hard to play because I feel like I'm into her every time I see her," Bencic said. . "It's hard to put that aside and just focus on the game.

"I feel a little paralyzed just looking at her, so I don't know how she was playing. No.”

Williams appeared to be in typical form early on, scoring the first points of the match with an ace. The American picked up his two wins early on but couldn't keep up with the 25-year-old Bencic.

In the second set, Bencic and Williams tied him 3-3, but the Swiss continued to win. Serving to stay in the match, Williams pumped up his fist and yelled to the delight of the partisan crowd when Bencic's botched return made him 5-4.

Williams hit a long ball on her points in the match, ending the match and her playing time in Canada. She is expected to officially end her career after the US Open, which begins on August 29.

"I think the US Open will be even more special," she said. Bencic said..

"Good luck to everyone who has to play her," she added with a laugh. Leila Fernandez was eliminated from the tournament after losing to Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 7-6 (4) 6-1.

Toronto's No. 13 seed, Fernandez, made her first move after her two-month layoff to recover from a stress fracture in her right leg sustained at the French Open. I was playing in tournaments.

She and her sister Bianca Her Fernandez teamed up in doubles her tournament, where she lost 6-1 6-2 to Slovenia's Andreja Klepaci and Chile's Alexa her Guarachi. I was.

"Today she just finished with two losses, so it's a bit difficult," Layla said Fernandez. "I'm happy to finally be able to return to competition and test not only my legs but also my body. My body feels good.

"Of course, it's not at the level we want, but At least I know what I need to do."

Haddad Maia's next opponent is world number one Iga Swiatek, who beat Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 6- We went down by 2 and advanced to the third round.

Swiatek extended his hard-court winning streak to 20 games, beating Tomljanovic by just one hour and four minutes.

In other early results, No. 10 seed Gauff defeated Kazakhstan's Elena Ryvakina, who she scored 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (3). Defending her champion Camilla Giorgi of Italy defeated Belgium's Elise Mertens 6-3 7-5. And seventh seed Jessica Pegula defeated fellow American Asia Muhammad 6-2, 7-5.