World No. 1 Serena Williams will miss the 2010 U.S. Open due to injury.
On the advice of her doctors, top-ranked tennis star Serena Williams withdrew from the U.S. Open on Friday. The 28-year-old champion, who is still recovering from recent foot surgery, said in a written statement that she was pulling out of the tournament “with much frustration and deep sadness.”
Williams was reportedly hurt by broken glass at a restaurant while she was in Munich, Germany. The injury came shortly after her Wimbledon singles win, and required surgery in mid July. Williams said doctors advised her not to play so her foot could properly heal. She already pulled out of several tournaments in which she was scheduled to compete, including the World Team Tennis competition. She described missing the U.S. Open, which starts August 30, as “one of the most devastating moments of my career.” The 13-time Grand Slam champion won the U.S. Open in 1999, 2002, and 2008.
According to the U.S. Tennis Association, Williams will become the first No. 1-ranked female to miss the U.S. Open since the rankings began in 1975.
According to the Associated Press, Williams’ agent and the United States Tennis Association confirmed her decision to withdraw on Friday.
The US Open had already been hit by the withdrawal of another former world number one, Justine Henin, who won singles titles at Flushing Meadows in 2003 and 2007.
This certainly opens up the possibilities for the remaining players, having two of the top contenders out of the draw. Hopefully there will be no more withdrawals from this major tournament.
