Seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams pulled out of this month’s Australian Open on account of damage, the organisers of the season’s first Grand Slam stated on Saturday.
Williams was set to play her twenty second Australian Open after being awarded a wildcard to the Jan. 16-29 event.
The 42-year-old American, twice a finalist at Melbourne Park who’s now ranked exterior the highest 1,000, was getting ready for the event on the Auckland Basic the place she received injured.
“Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open on account of an damage sustained on the ASB Basic in New Zealand,” the Australian Open stated in a tweet.
Williams crashed out of the U.S. Open within the first spherical with a loss to unseeded Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck and solely returned to motion in Auckland, the place she downed compatriot Katie Volynets earlier than shedding to China’s Zhu Lin.
Australia’s Kimberly Birrell was awarded her wildcard place.