Serena Williams withdraws from US Open
Tennis star Serena Williams will not compete in this year's U.S. Open tournament, another setback in her quest to win her first Grand Slam title since giving birth to her daughter.
Williams, who will turn 40 next month, announced on social media that a torn hamstring injury will keep her from competing at Flushing Meadows in New York.
"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," Williams wrote on Instagram. "New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favorite places to play -- I'll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone from afar."
Williams has not competed since injuring her right leg in in her first-round match at Wimbledon in June, according to ESPN.
Williams' U.S. Open withdrawal ends her bid this year to win a Grand Slam tournament, which would be her 24th Grand Slam title and her first since giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in 2017.
The four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis are the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open.
Winning a 24th Grand Slam title would tie Williams with Margaret Court for single majors titles.
It would also make her a member of the very small club of professional tennis player moms who have won Grand Slam titles, joining only Court, Evonne Goolagong and Kim Clijsters.
The last mom to win a Grand Slam title was Clijsters in 2009 at the Australian Open, according to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).
Williams, who in January 2020 won her first singles title since becoming a mom, has described being both a professional athlete and a mother as "living a double life."
“How do you do it? You play a match and you go home and you’re still changing diapers. It’s like a double life,” she said last year, according to Reuters. “It’s really surreal.”
Williams said motherhood has also given her strength.
“I think when you’re a mom, you overcome so much just to become that and to be that,” she said.
