Serena Williams backs out of first Grand Slam of 2011
Former World Number One, Serena Williams has dropped out of yet another tournament because of her mysterious foot injury. This time, the American tennis player will not be playing in the first Grand Slam event of 2011, the Australian
Open. This news was confirmed by the tournament director, Craig Tiley, who issued a statement on Thursday that clarified that the two-time defending champion of the Australian tournament had pulled out of two tournaments, Hopman Cup and the Australian Open.
Both events will be held in January.
This is the second Grand Slam tournament in a row that the younger Williams sister will miss, with the first one being the 2010 US Open held in August and September. Her lack of participation in these events has not only cost her
the titles, but also 2000 ranking points. She has already lost the top ranking to Caroline “Sunshine” Wozniacki. This considerable point drop may also end up costing her a spot in the Womens Tennis Association’s top ten players.
Since Serena Williams won the Wimbledon title in July, she has only played one exhibition match with Kim Clijsters. The 29-year-old tennis star had surgery on one of her feet, after an incident involving broken glass at a restaurant
right after her win at the All England Club. Although she returned to practice in September, she put off her comeback twice to drop out of events such as the US Open, the season ending WTA event at Doha, the Fed Cup final against Italy and many other minor
tour tournaments.
Although she seemed all set on making her comeback in Perth, she announced this week that she had another surgery last month and could not afford coming back to the court until she is sure that the wound has healed. The player
justified her decision by saying, “As I recently learned, pushing myself back into my intense training too early only caused me further injury and damage. While I desperately want to be back on the court and competing in the first Grand Slam tournament of
the year, it is imperative for my health that I continue to work with my doctors to ensure my foot heals properly.”
She seems to be dejected by this withdrawal, adding, “This decision, though heavy on my heart, is the right one. I am praying for a healthy recovery and I promise my Aussie fans and my fans around the world that I will be back
better than ever as soon as I can be.”
Serena Williams has won the Aussie tournament five times and is a fan favourite in Melbourne. Tiley also showed regret over her decision, saying, “Serena is a great champion and we will miss her in January.” In their heyday, Serena
and her sister Venus Williams have been prominent figures in the world of womens tennis for the past ten years. Serena has won all four majors at least once, with 13 Grand Slam titles. She finished as World Number 4 in the rankings of 2010, despite the fact
that she only participated in six tournaments. She won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and took her career tally of World Number 1 to 123 weeks.
Williams has spent most of her recuperation time pursuing her interests that include her fashion line and work for the foundation she runs, which focuses on educating African children.
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