Tennis champion, Serena Williams, is throwing in the towel with the U.S. Open tournament.
On Wednesday, Aug. 25, Williams released a statement via Instagram explaining that her decision to pull out of the competition relates to her hamstring injury that took place two months ago. “After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the U.S. Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring.” Williams has not competed since she initially injured herself.
In the update, she continues, “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 on from afar. Thank you for your continued support and love. I’ll see you soon.”
Williams had made it to her fifth game on June 29 and slipped while playing, which caused the injury. She left the court to seek medical attention, then later returned in an attempt to continue the game. The 40-year-old was serving to her opponent, Aliaksandra Sasnovich, when she lost her balance and fell forward. It was then that the 23-time Grand Slam winner decided to tap out of the match. Shaking her opponent’s hand, she tearfully waved to the audience before putting on her mask and leaving England’s Centre Court.
Williams’ withdrawal statement was met with a lot of support and love from her fans. She received over 290,000 likes and over 6,000 comments. One person said, “We’ll continue to patiently wait for your return…it’ll be worth the wait for us all!! 💕”
Someone else assured the mother of one that no matter what, she is still a champion. They wrote, “You don’t ever need to play again and you’ll still be the greatest ever. But would love to see you on the courts when you are healthy. Hope you heal well! 🙏🏼🙌.”
“My heart is so broken” started another fan, “but we have to wait for the best!🤍”
Williams has won six U.S. Open championships in the past and was hoping to set a record by tying former Australian tennis player Margaret Court in winning 24 grand slams, which is the most a woman has won.
