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Sisters Serena Williams and Venus Williams said on Wednesday they would not compete in the next US Open tennis tournament due to injuries. They join stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in their retirements, marking the first major tournament since 1997 without the quartet of stars who have largely dominated the sport.
Serena Williams cited a hamstring tear as the reason for her withdrawal. Venus Williams said she had a leg injury. The two sisters announced within 10 hours. This is the first time since 2003, neither of them participated in the last Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Serena Williams was injured at Wimbledon, forcing her to withdraw from this tournament and miss the Olympics.
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“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 fully heal from a hamstring tear,” wrote Williams on Instagram.
Venus followed up with a video message several hours later.
“It’s not the best news from Serena and I today. I, too, can’t play the US Open. It’s super super super disappointing. I’ve been having trouble with my leg this whole time. summer and I just couldn’t get out of it.
In tennis health news, the US Tennis Association said today it will expand medical care to provide “the best mental health support for players” at the US Open. This decision is particularly important since defending champion Naomi Osaka has been at the center of players’ mental health issues since Roland Garros. She then withdrew from Wimbledon.
Osaka’s fragile state was recently highlighted when she broke down in tears and briefly left a press conference after being asked about her dealings with the media.
The US Open begins Monday and will be televised by ESPN.
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