Serena Williams Suffers Injury Scare Just Three Days Before Australian Open, Pulls Out Of Ash Barty Game

Tennis star, Serena Williams has suffered an injury scare three days before the start of Australian Open and will now miss Saturday’s clash against world No1 Ash Barty in Yarra Valley Classic semi-finals.

Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) says Williams is unable to compete due to a right shoulder injury.

Sadly, this is the last thing the 39-year-old Sports woman would have wanted on the eve of the first Slam in 2021.

Williams has now withdrawn from the Australian Open tuneup tournament citing her right shoulder injury.

She decided to take a couple of days off ahead of Australian open that starts on Monday.

Ash Barty advanced to the final by walkover and will face either Czech player Marketa Vondrousova or Spaniard Garbine Mugursova in her final warm-up match on Melbourne park.

Williams, who is chasing a record-equalling 24th singles Slam, said she had remained extra cautious during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world number 11, who has a three-year-old daughter Olympia, said;

I heard about the virus here last year, but I didn’t take it serious. I thought it was just in certain areas in the world and was making a lot of people sick. I didn’t think it would spread after the tournament I heard about it in Los Angeles and it was starting to get super serious. I went into quarantine really. I just went home and stayed by myself.

William now faces a race against time to be fit for the Australian Open. She faces Laura Siegemund in the first-round next week, with Nina Stojanovic or Irina-Camelia Begu waiting in the second round.

She shares the bottom quarter with Simona Halep, Elena Rybakin, Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.