In January, 23-time major tournament champion Serena Williams will miss out on the eighth Australian Open title, retiring from the first major tournament of the season for the fifth time in her career.
Serena has had to skip the second half of 2021 due to injury, and she is not ready to return to Australia, saying she needs more time to recover and return to 100%.
Serena has only appeared six tournaments in the past season, reaching the semi-final of the Australian Open and failing to repeat the feat at Roland Garros and Wimbledon to finish outside the top 40 for the first time since 2006!
The American veteran struggled with injuries and ended the season after tearing her hamstring in the first round at Wimbledon. Serena did not make the major tournament at home in New York City and has decided to end her year and make a fresh start in 2022.
Serena Williams to miss Australian Open
Williams won her 23rd major crown at the 2017 Australian Open and took a break from tennis to give birth to a child later in the year.
The American returned in the spring of 2018, eager to continue where she left off and play at a high level to reach four major finals in two years.
Serena lost them all and failed to take it a step further to equal Margaret Court’s record. Delivering her best tennis since returning in 2018, Serena beat five rivals to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne in February this year, including notable wins over top 7 rivals Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep!
With all eyes on the trophy, Williams faced Naomi Osaka in a twisty clash and suffered a tough 6-3, 6-4 loss in an hour and 15 minutes. Serena won five Australian Open titles between 2003 and 2010, and two more trophies in 2015 and 2017.
“While it’s never an easy decision to make, I’m not where I need to be physically to be competitive. Melbourne is one of my favorite cities to visit, and I can’t wait to play at the Open from Australia every year.
I will miss seeing the fans, but I can’t wait to come back and compete at my highest level, ”said Serena Williams.
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