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It is a sad day for Serena Williams’ fans and her sport. The worldwide known and acclaimed tennis player has withdrawn from the U.S. Open due to injury.
The 39-year-old six-time U.S. Open winner took social media to release a statement informing the heartbreaking news. “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,” the athlete wrote on Instagram.
The tournament will begin on August 30 and will take place in Flushing Meadows, New York.
“New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favorite places to play - I‘ll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering on from afar,” she added. “Thank you for your continued love and support. I’ll see you soon.”
The U.S. Open echoed Williams’s news on Twitter and wished her a speedy recovery. “Get well soon, @serenawilliams!” they tweeted.
In June, Williams was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after injuring her right leg. The seven-time Wimbledon champion was up against Aliaksandra Sasnovich for her first-round match when she appeared to slip and hurt herself during a return. Serena left the court to receive medical attention and returned with the game tied at 3-3.
Although she continued to play, it was evident she was in pain. Aiming to win a record-tying 24th grand-slam, Serena tried to push through but fell to her knees with a loud shriek and was forced to retire from the match.
Serena’s injuries come after she announced she would not be participating in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She told reporters at Wimbledon, “I’m actually not on the Olympic list, not that I’m aware of … If so, then I shouldn’t be on it.”
For now, Serena isn’t sharing the many reasons why she decided against it. “There‘s a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision,” she said. “I don’t really want to -- I don’t feel like going into them today. Maybe another day.” Serena added, “I have not thought about it. In the past, [the Olympics] has been a wonderful place for me. I really haven’t thought about it, so I’m going to keep not thinking about it.”