- Williams already had a wildcard to the year’s first Grand Slam
- The Australian Open begins on January 16
- Her pullout is a big piece of disappointment to her fans
Venus Williams has pulled out of the 2023 Australian Open due to an injury she suffered during a warm-up match.
Williams already had a wildcard to the year’s first Grand Slam starting on January 16 in Melbourne. The 42-year-old suffered an injury at the ASB Classic in Auckland while getting ready for the Australian Open.
Her pullout is a big piece of disappointment to her fans, who anticipated a thrilling performance from her.
This would have been her 26th debut at the tournament. In 13 events last season, Williams only won three matches, but she hasn’t yet indicated that she’d like to retire like her sister Serena Williams.
Despite being a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, she lost in the Australian Open final in 2003 and 2017.
She said it was exciting going back to Australia, and she had an opportunity to please her fans again. The elder Williams’ previously won five Australian Open doubles titles here.
Venus Williams. Photo/ TennisPredict.com.
“I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne. It will be an honour to play for the fans again,” BBC quotes her.
Australia makes her feel at home because of the unconditional love and support she got over the years while playing in Melbourne.
“I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now, and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly. I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year,” she added.
Williams participated in just four tournaments in 2022. She is rated 1,007th in the world. Her most recent competitive singles match was a first-round loss at the US Open in August.
Her performance at Wimbledon, where only three women have won the women’s singles title, made her an unbeatable tennis player. Williams, meanwhile, has had a challenging few years.
Since 2017, Venus Williams has experienced a career resurgence by reaching the finals of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. However, she failed to advance past the third round of a Grand Slam. Since 2018, she has failed to go past the second round.
Williams had a terrible year in 2020 as she lost in the first round of each of the three Grand Slam competitions that year. She fell to her lowest position in the rankings in ten years in May 2021, when she dropped out of the top 100.
Then, in 2022, she performed no better in the first round of the US Open with Alison Van Uytvanck defeating her in straight sets. The 42-year-old has won the US Open twice, in 2000 and 2001; nonetheless, this was her first Grand Slam match of 2022.
Venus Williams. Photo/The Conversation
Williams hadn’t played competitive tennis since August 2021, before Wimbledon 2022. She competed in the mixed doubles event alongside Jamie Murray of Great Britain.
Williams never stepped on a tennis court for a match from August 2021 to early 2022 due to a leg injury. This raised concerns about her future in the sport.
Although the 42-year-old broke the record by competing in her 90th Grand Slam match at Wimbledon last year, she has long battled a number of bothersome injuries, leading many to question her fitness.
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