Serena Williams is the latest high-profile player to pull out of next week's US Open. The 39-year-old, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, withdrew from the tournament due to a torn hamstring.
Taking to her Instagram page on Wednesday, the tennis star explained: "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.
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"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 on from afar."
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Showing her appreciation, she added: "Thank you for your continued support and love. I'll see you soon."
The announcement comes two months after Serena was left "heartbroken" following her premature departure at Wimbledon this summer. She pulled out of her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich due to a leg injury.
© Photo: InstagramThe tennis star released this statement
Shortly afterwards, the seven-time Wimbledon champion decided not to participate in the Olympic Games in Tokyo and she also skipped last week's Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati to allow herself more time to recover.
Serena last missed the US Open in 2017 when she took a short break from the sport following the birth of her daughter, Olympia. She returned to the tennis scene in March 2018 and until recently had participated in every Grand Slam tournament since.
Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles
Defending men's champion Dominic Thiem, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are among the players who have also had to pull out of this year's final Grand Slam. The US Open, which will be held at Flushing Meadows in New York, kicks off on 30 August.
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