It was stunning news to the tennis world when Serena Williams announced her withdrawal from the French Open before her second-round match. The announcement came less than an hour before her game with Tsvetana Pironkova.
The Reason for Her Withdrawal from the French Open
Williams could not participate because of a recurrence of an Achilles injury that she had suffered at the US Open, where she was defeated at the semi-finals by Victoria Azarenka.
According to the 39-year old professional tennis player, “The Achilles didn’t have enough time to heal after the US Open. I was struggling to walk and that is a tell-tale sign that I should try to recover.”
Williams is known as the three-time champion of the Roland Garros for the years 2002, 2013 and 2015. So, it is quite a blow to the tennis player that she could not give her best for this year’s tournament.
“I need four to six weeks of sitting and doing nothing. It’s more than likely that I won’t play another tournament this year,” Williams stated in an interview.
With her injury, she will likely miss the rest of 2020. This means that the Australian Open in 2021 is her next opportunity to equal Margaret Court’s all-time majors’ record.
Williams’ Bid for the Grand Slam Suffers a Blow
With her withdrawal from the French Open, this has sparked doubts about her long-term future in tennis. The skilled tennis player is into her fourth decade on tour and has not won a grand slam since 2017 at the Australian Open. The clock is ticking for Williams, as stated by Dave James of AFP. He further wrote, “An Achilles injury ended Williams’ latest bid for a record-equalling 24th grand slam title at Roland Garros on Wednesday, but it’s Father Time who may prove her most implacable rival.”
It has been near misses for Williams. In 2018, she pulled out despite the much-awaited last-16 clash with Maria Sharapova in Paris. In 2018 and 2019, she had reached the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open but could not bring the trophy home. This year, she fell in three sets in the fourth round against Wang Qiang in Australia. Finally, with the cancellation of Wimbledon, it has not been looking good for the tennis player.
Williams’ Rankings Fell to World No. 10 at the WTA Rankings
The French Open drama has further affected Williams’ record as she fell to World No. 10 at the WTA rankings. Instead of cashing in for her 24th major if she participated in the French Open, it was Iga Swiatek who claimed her first win. The Polish teenager was also the first to win in tennis history for a Polish player.
Swiatek, who is 19 years old, climbed 37 spots to a career-high 17. There’s also Sofia Kenin, the French Open runner up, who rose to a career-high No.4. And Barty still remains World No. 1 even though she missed the past two grand slam tournaments.
Williams is Not Giving Up
Despite all of the setbacks that have happened to her this year, Williams did not give any indication that she was going to retire soon. With her 73 career titles, 23-slam haul and a staggering $93.5 million in prize money, the award-winning tennis player is not going to give up.
In her interviews, she stated, “I always give 100 percent, everyone knows that. Maybe even more than 100 if that’s possible. I take solace in that.”
“I’m pretty good at it still and I’m so close to some things, so I feel like I’m almost there. I think that’s what keeps me going.”
With the dedication that these tennis players have for the sport, no wonder there are so many fans and bettors out there who keep a close watch for these tennis tournaments. For those who want to engage in sports betting brokerage, you can check out Eastbridge brokerage!
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