💬 Quoted… “I have never liked the word retirement."

Serena Williams, the 🐐 of women’s tennis, published an essay in Vogue yesterday indicating that she plans to retire “evolve away from tennis” after the US Open (which begins September 11) to focus on her family and venture-capital firm.

• Williams began her professional career in 1995 as a 14-year-old. Over the next 27 years, she amassed 73 singles titles – including 23 Grand Slams, the most in the pro era – won four Olympic gold medals, and spent 319 weeks ranked No. 1 in the world. She also has 14 major doubles titles alongside her sister Venus.

🦠 Stat of the Day: More than 4 in 10 Americans (41%) say they’ve already returned to their "normal, pre-COVID-19 life," according to new data from the Annenberg Public Policy Center. 

• That’s up from 16% who said they had done so in January.

🤯 Did You Know?... The world’s longest bus route ran from London, England, to Calcutta, India, in the 1950s. The trip took about 50 days in all, but travelers probably had a great time – the bus featured a fully-stocked kitchen, individual sleeping arrangements, fan-operated heaters, and a music system for parties.

📖 Worth a Read: In Remote Alaska, Meal Planning Is Everything → (Eater)