International Tennis star, Serena Williams has withdrawn from next week’s US Open due to injury.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has not played on tour since an injured right hamstring forced her out of her first-round match at Wimbledon.
On Wedneday, August 25, the American said that her torn hamstring has not completely healed, pulling out of the major tournament and extending her latest break from the game that she once dominated.
Serena has now joined a growing list of stars who will miss the Open that already included Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
Williams, who is ranked 22nd on the WTA Tour at age 39, has not played on tour since retiring in the first set of her first-round match at Wimbledon on June 29 because of an injured right hamstring. She skipped last week’s Western and Southern Open in the Cincinnati suburbs to allow herself more time to recover, and said in a statement that she planned “to be back on the court very soon.”
But she could not recover in time to play at the U.S. Open, where she has won six singles titles, including her first Grand Slam singles title in 1999 as a teenager. This year’s tournament begins Aug. 30 in New York.
Williams wrote on Instagram: “After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring.
“New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favourite places to play – I’ll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar.
“Thank you for your continued support and love. I’ll see you soon.”
Her post:
Photo: AP