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This year's US Open will miss a pool of big players. With every nearing day, a new name is being added to the list of players who are withdrawing from the mega event. In the latest update, American tennis star Serena Williams announced that she has decided to withdraw from the upcoming hard court event due to injury.
The 39-year-old tennis star has pulled out of the next week's marquee event as her torn hamstring has not healed completely. “After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring,” Williams wrote in her Instagram post. “New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favourite places to play– I will miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar. Thank you for your continued support and love. I'll see you soon,” she concluded.
Serena has been suffering due to her leg injury for a while now. She also skipped the Tokyo Olympics and had to opt out of the Cincinnati Masters. She had to leave her first-round match at Wimbledon in tears due to the leg injury. The six-time champion and one of the most consistent players at the US Open will be missed at the final Grand Slam of the year.
2021 US Open to be played without big names
With Serena deciding to pull out, she became the latest big name on the list of elite players skipping the mega event. Before this, reigning men's champion Dominic Thiem and four-time winner Rafael Nadal ended their 2021 season due to injuries. Roger Federer also withdrawn citing a third surgery on his right knee. This will be the first time since 1997 that Serena, Federer, and Nadal will not be participating in the main draw.
The 2021 US Open is all set to get underway in New York on Monday with the first match to be played at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The qualifying matches are already being played. Notably, women's defending champion Naomi Osaka will be seen in action. The main draw of the US Open gets underway in New York on Monday.