August 25, (THEWILL) – American tennis icon Serena Williams has joined the list of stars that will be absent from the final major of the year, the US Open, due, in her case, to a hamstring injury. The confirmation of her absence immediately implies that her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam gets another inevitable delay with a rapidly closing window as she approaches 40 years.
Williams confirmed her withdrawal via her official account on the image-sharing social media platform Instagram, on Wednesday, where she posted a picture message that said: “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 from afar.
“Thank you for your continued support and love. I’ll see you soon.”
Williams’ age has partly been responsible for the slow pace of recovery as the 39-year-old has carried this hamstring injury since she slipped in her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Wimbledon in June. It forced her to withdraw from the All England Club prematurely.
The same persistent injury ensured that the 23-time Grand Slam champion, who had looked set to return for the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati earlier this month, was a no-show at the tournament.
It will be the first time that Williams, a six-time US Open champion will miss a Grand Slam since the year 2018 when she returned from maternity leave. Like Federer did in August, Williams will be celebrating her 40th birthday in September and will soon have to give up active competitions.
It has been tough adding to her Slams since her comeback from giving birth to her daughter. Although she has reached no fewer than four Grand Slam finals, she has lost each one since the 2017 Australian Open where she won her 23rd.
The US Open begins on August 30 at Flushing Meadows in New York.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
