Tennis Lovers to Miss Serena Williams at Australian Open
Serena Williams, the former world number one, will not play in the Australian Open in 2022 according to medical advice obtained on Wednesday. The 23-time grand slam singles champion has had injuries and has not participated since June when an ankle injury caused her to withdraw from her first-round Wimbledon match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
"While it is never an easy decision to make, I am not physically prepared to compete," Williams said in a statement. Every year, I look forward to playing at the AO in Melbourne, which is one of my favourite places to visit. I'll miss seeing the supporters, but I'm eager to return and perform at my best," she continued.
In 2021, Williams reached the semifinals, defeating Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep before losing to eventual winner Naomi Osaka. Her left knee issue kept her out until the clay season this year.
The seven-time AO champion advanced to the fourth round of Roland Garros before injuring herself in the opening round of Wimbledon. Williams's last title came at Auckland in 2020 and she is currently ranked world No.41.
