When Does Serena Play Again in the Us Open
Serena Williams Pulls Out of U.S. Open
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has not played on bout since an injured right hamstring forced her out at Wimbledon. Her sister Venus likewise withdrew, citing a leg consequence.
Serena Williams withdrew from the U.South. Open on Midweek, extending her latest intermission from tennis, the sport she one time dominated.
"Later careful consideration and following the communication of my doctors and medical squad, I accept decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my torso to heal completely from a torn hamstring," she wrote on Instagram. "New York is 1 of the most heady cities in the world and 1 of my favorite places to play — I'll miss seeing the fans only will be cheering everyone on from afar. Thanks for your continued support and dear. I'll encounter you soon."
Williams, who is ranked 22nd on the WTA Tour at historic period 39, has not played on tour since retiring in the first set of her commencement-round lucifer at Wimbledon on June 29 because of an injured right hamstring. She was in tears as she shook the hand of her opponent, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, and she stumbled equally she exited Centre Court, receiving assistance to accomplish the clubhouse.
She skipped last week's Western & Southern Open nearly Cincinnati to let herself more than time to recover, and said in a statement that she planned "to exist dorsum on the courtroom very soon."
But she could not recover in time to play at the U.Southward. Open, where she has won six singles titles, including her first Grand Slam singles championship in 1999 as a teenager. The 2021 tournament begins on Mon in New York.
Patrick Mouratoglou, Williams'southward coach, said on Wednesday that the entire team knew right away that being prepare for the U.S. Open up would be a challenge, given the severity of the injury. He said that if the tournament were in three or four weeks she would most likely be able to compete, just that the risk of long-term damage competing now was too great.
"Nosotros tried everything," Mouratoglou said in an interview on Wednesday. "She did everything she could."
Williams last missed the U.Southward. Open up in 2017 when she was taking an extended break from the sport because of the nascence of her daughter, Olympia. She returned to the tour in March 2018. She had participated in every Grand Slam event that had been held since her return.
She lost the 2018 U.S. Open up concluding to Naomi Osaka of Nippon and the 2019 U.Southward. Open last to Bianca Andreescu of Canada. Final year, when the tournament was held without spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic, she lost in the semifinals to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in iii sets.
Mouratoglou said Williams had a magnetic resonance imaging scan 10 days ago.
Epitome
"It showed that her injury had partially healed, simply not totally, and in a way that was very insufficient for her to be able to movement," he said in an interview with Tennis Majors, a website in which both he and Williams are investors. "When you are xx days away from a major tournament and y'all haven't sprinted for v or half dozen weeks, you know that you are off to a bad start."
Mouratoglou said he traveled to Florida to join Williams and the rest of her team several weeks agone. "She did all she could do: daily therapy and the fitness training she could manage in order to lose as picayune fourth dimension equally possible," he said. "At one point, she could hit the ball without moving, actually not moving. That lasted two weeks. Terminal week, she started a bit of restricted movement, but with hurting that made it articulate she could not move similar a normal tennis role player. Nosotros did our best to not overload her leg. But despite all of that, she is not able to run today. If she runs with pain, that means there is a real danger of aggravating the injury. That as well means she can't train at 100 percent. Simply the most important affair is non that she isn't ready but that if she plays, she is risking her future."
Williams's declaration leaves the U.S. Open without three of the sport's biggest stars. Roger Federer, 40, and Rafael Nadal, 35, take withdrawn and concluded their 2021 seasons because of injuries. This is the first time since 1997 — nearly a quarter-century ago — that the U.S. Open — or any Yard Slam tournament — will be played without at to the lowest degree one of the 3.
End of an era? It certainly appears that way, although Martina Navratilova, the former No. 1 who is now a Tennis Channel analyst, believes it may non be the end of all 3 players' triumphs on the courtroom.
"I call back Rafa has a much better take chances of getting good for you, and he's younger too," Navratilova said on Midweek. "If the foot heals up, he'll be adept to go. Just with Roger and Serena, I think they'll nonetheless play. I don't think nosotros will never see them play a lucifer again, but I simply don't know what level they tin can get to."
Williams, like Federer and Nadal, is one of the greatest champions in tennis history. She has frequently overpowered the opposition with her intimidating serve and returns. Merely her chances of winning a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title appear increasingly slim. She volition turn 40 in September, and her ranking has slipped out of the top 20.
"Serena has won 23 majors, flow, end of story," Navratilova said. "She'southward still Serena. I don't think winning 24 makes her any greater. The fact she's trying is to be commended. The people saying she shouldn't have tried considering she's simply pain her legacy, they are full of information technology. My goodness. The only people who never fail are the ones that never endeavor."
Navratilova won her ninth and terminal Wimbledon singles title in 1990 at age 33 only played on until she was 49, winning the mixed doubles championship with Bob Bryan at the 2006 U.Southward. Open.
"I won my last Wimbledon on bad knees, and I wish I had gotten them fixed sooner, just like I'thou sure Serena wishes she had gotten the hamstring taken care of sooner," she said. "When the body doesn't allow you do what you know you can do that's the most frustrating thing. If you're just not expert enough you lot tin have that, but when your body is kind of sabotaging you, that is a heartbreak."
Williams's hereafter in the game remains unclear. She returned to the bout after childbirth with the goal of winning more major singles titles and surpassing Margaret Court'south longstanding record of 24. Williams last won a M Slam championship in January 2017 at the Australian Open up, defeating her sister Venus, who also pulled out of this year's U.Due south. Open on Wednesday, citing a leg injury in a post on Twitter. Venus Williams, ranked 147th, had been given a wild-menu entry to the tournament last calendar week.
Serena Williams's simply tournament title in the last 4 and a half years came in a lower-tier event in Auckland, New Zealand, in Jan 2020. She will fall out of the top 40 when the rankings are updated afterwards the U.S. Open and will well-nigh likely non be seeded if she returns for the 2022 Australian Open.
Mouratoglou said that there had been no word about retirement and that he would probably speak to Serena Williams about her futurity in a few weeks.
"She still wants to play and still loves to play," Mouratoglou said.
Matthew Futterman contributed reporting.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/sports/tennis/serena-williams-withdraws-us-open.html
0 Response to "When Does Serena Play Again in the Us Open"
Post a Comment