(Bloomberg) -- Serena Williams’s decision to retire after playing this year’s US Open could provide a much-needed boost to the tournament’s broadcaster, ESPN.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion announced Tuesday that she plans to compete in the New York tournament and then focus on her family and her venture capital firm.

Sports fans will undoubtedly tune in to see Williams compete if the US Open is to be her last major event, especially if she advances into the later rounds. That’s good news for ESPN since TV viewership otherwise might have declined with the potential absence of two of tennis’s biggest male stars -- Novak Djokovic, who isn’t allowed to enter the country because he’s unvaccinated, and Rafael Nadal, who is battling an injury.

ESPN, owned by Walt Disney Co., pays about $70 million a year for exclusive rights to the tournament under a contract signed in 2013. Last year’s coverage averaged 881,000 viewers in prime time, up 33% from the prior year.

Much like Tiger Woods in golf, Williams is a big ratings draw for tennis on TV. Her appearance in the US Open final in 2018 drew more than 3 million viewers, 50% more than the men’s finals.

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