Will Serena Williams be playing the 2022 Australian Open?


Will Serena Williams be playing the 2022 Australian Open?

Serena Williams

Anyone who has ever had even a slight interest in tennis knows the name of Serena Williams. This 23 time Grand Slam champion holds the record for the most number of Grand Slams won by any player ever in the Open Era, the last of which she had achieved in the Australian Open 2017. She has won the Australian Open title 7 times in her long spanning career in which she ruled the court.

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In the Australian Open 2021, Williams faced long standing rival Naomi Osaka in the semi final and suffered a crushing defeat, after which she acknowledged the crowd a longer than she had ever done. When faced with the question of whether she was considering retiring from the sport she was once hailed as a champion in, the 40-year-old said, “I don’t know, if I ever say farewell, I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

In May 2021, Williams played the 1000th match of her career, in which she was defeated in straight sets in the second round by Bellarussian player Nadia Podoroska. In the following month, during the Wimbledon, Williams faced an injured right hamstring in the first set of the first round against Belarussian player Aliaksandra Saskovich which forced her withdraw from the competition. The injury forced the once no.1 player to withdraw from the US Open 2021.

Serena Williams in the Australian Open 2022?

Serena Williams
Serena Williams

Williams decided to skip her second straight Grand Slam even in a row citing medical reasons. “While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete,” she said.

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After Serena Williams’ name wasn’t on the entry list for the 2022 Australian Open, the 23-time Grand Slam champion confirmed that she is not physically fit enough to be participating in the tournament next month.

“Melbourne is one of my favorite cities to visit and I look forward to playing at the AO every year. I will miss seeing the fans, but am excited to return and compete at my highest level,” said the veteran player.

While the fans of the sport and the sportswoman alike were devastated to hear the news, they wished for her speedy recovery and hope to see her compete as the fierce player she has repeatedly shown herself to be.

Also read: Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep all set to start their 2022 season in Melbourne.