Tennis-Serena's looming retirement drives U.S. Open ticket sales

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Australian Open - First Round - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 20, 2020 Serena Williams of the U.S. in action during the match against Russia's Anastasia Potapova REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo

(Reuters) - Demand for tickets to witness tennis great Serena Williams in action at the U.S. Open spiked in the 24 hours following her announcement that she would retire after the hardcourt major in New York, ticket retailer StubHub told Reuters.

"We typically see demand spike on StubHub when a player announces their retirement, and this is especially the case when it's Serena Williams, arguably one of the greatest players to set foot on the tennis court," spokesman Adam Budelli said.