After Serena Williams' name wasn't on the entry list for the 2022 Australian Open, the 23-time Grand Slam winner confirmed that she won't be participating in the tournament next month. According to the Australian Open's official website, Williams stated that she wouldn't be playing in the Grand Slam tournament and instead is "following advice from her medical team."
Williams is still dealing with a hamstring injury that she suffered in her first round match at Wimbledon in July.
"While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete," Williams told the Australian Open website. "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."
Williams has had a great deal of success at the Australian Open in the past. The 40-year old won her last career Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open and in total has won the tournament seven times.
In the 2021 Australian Open, Williams made it all the way the semifinals before falling to Naomi Osaka in straight sets.
Williams isn't the first high-profile women's tennis star who is missing the tournament. On Monday, Bianca Andreescu, who won the 2019 U.S. Open, announced that she is taking a mental break from the sport and will sit out the start of the 2022 season, which includes the Australian Open.
