TORONTO (AP) — Serena Williams wore her game face when she stepped out into the stadium for her first match since telling the world she is ready to leave professional tennis.

Greeted by a standing ovation, the 23-time Grand Slam champion didn’t smile. She didn’t wave. She took a sip from a plastic bottle as she walked in. Some folks in the crowd captured the moment with the cameras on their cellphones. Others held aloft handrawn signs — oh, so many signs — with messages such as “Queen” or “Thank you.”

No one knows exactly how many more matches Williams will play before she puts her rackets away for good, and the 40-year-old American exited the National Bank Open on Wednesday night with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Belinda Bencic.

The second-round match at the hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open came a day after she announced “the countdown has begun” on her playing career, saying she wants to have another child and pursue business interests.

SUNG WINS USOPC SEAT

DENVER (AP) — USA Table Tennis CEO Virginia Sung won an election to serve on the board of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee on Wednesday. She will take over a spot held by former Duke athletic director Kevin White.

Sung won in a race that came down to her and Max Siegel, the CEO of USA Track and Field — a contest between the leader of one of the country’s smaller national governing bodies and one of its biggest.

USA Table Tennis’ budget of about $2.5 million in 2020 is in line with those of around half of the 51 NGBs that had votes in determining who would take White’s place starting next year. USATF’s budget was around $36 million in 2020.

The U.S. has not won a medal in table tennis since its introduction to the Olympic program in 1988.

BENGALS QB ON THE MEND

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is still on the mend from an appendectomy two weeks ago, and there is no timetable for his participation in training camp.

The third-year quarterback, who last season led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl in 33 years, has been observing practice from a golf cart or scooter. He drew a hearty cheer from fans at a recent practice when he picked up a football and tossed it around.

The quarterback’s father, Jimmy Burrow, told radio analyst Dave Lapham on the “In the Trenches” podcast Friday that it might be a “few weeks” before his son is able to practice.

Taylor said he doesn’t expect Burrow to be lagging in his preparation for the season. Like most of the Bengals’ starters, Burrow wouldn’t have played in the preseason opener on Friday night anyway.