Serena Williams withdraws from U.S. Open amid recovery from hamstring injury

Williams retired from her first-round match at Wimbledon in June after slipping on Centre Court. It was just the second time in her career she has retired from a match at a major.

Since she began appearing in major events in 1998, Williams has only missed the U.S. Open three times. She has won the event six times, including three consecutive championships from 2012 to 2014. 

Williams fell in the U.S. Open semifinals to Naomi Osaka in 2020 and the 2018 final. She also lost in the final to Bianca Andreescu in 2019. The 39-year-old has 23 career Grand Slam titles and is one away from tying Margaret Court for the record. 

However, Williams' chances to win a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title are increasingly slim. She turns 40 next month, and her ranking has fallen out of the top 20. 

Williams' announcement leaves the U.S. Open without three of tennis' biggest stars. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have both withdrawn and ended their 2021 seasons due to injuries. This is the first time since 1997 that the event will be played without at least one of the three.