[ad_1]
Serena Williams has pulled out of the US Open, scoring another major setback in an extremely difficult season.
Williams, who turns 40 next month, has not competed since being forced to withdraw from her first round match at Wimbledon after falling on the slippery grass courts to Aliaksandra Sasnovich, having torn herself apart the right hamstrings then left the field in tears.
“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,” said Williams in a statement on Instagram.
“New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favorite places to play. I will miss the fans, but I will cheer on everyone from afar. Thank you for your continued support and love. I’ll see you soon. “
Having started 2021 positively by reaching the semi-final of the Australian Open, before losing to Naomi Osaka after beating two top 10 opponents, Williams has had a difficult year. She struggled a lot in the clay season after a long hiatus.
Since returning from maternity leave, the second half of the season has given Williams his best chance of winning their elusive 24th Grand Slam title. Prior to Wimbledon, she had reached four finals and a semi-final in her last five appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open. However, Williams was one of many who slipped on the Wimbledon grass courts in the first week and is still suffering from her subsequent injury.
Unable to defend the points she racked up in her run to the 2019 Wimbledon final, Williams is now ranked 22nd. Having also reached the final of the US Open in 2019, losing to Bianca Andreescu, Williams could now come out of the top 40. By the time of the 2022 Australian Open, the next grand slam on the calendar, that will be five years since Williams’ last grand slam. title at the 2017 Australian Open.
With previous withdrawals of Roger Federer, 40, who will undergo another knee surgery, and Rafael Nadal, 35, who suffers from a chronic foot injury, Williams’ withdrawal means this year’s US Open will be the first major slam tournament without any of the trio since the 1997 US Open.
[ad_2]
Source link