Serena Williams abruptly withdrew from the French Open on Wednesday morning ahead of her second round match with an Achilles injury.
The 39-year-old Williams, a three-time winner at Roland Garros, had arrived in Paris carrying an Achilles injury she suffered in her US Open semifinal defeat against Victoria Azarenka. This led to her skipping the Rome tune-up event.
“So, it is my Achilles that didn’t have enough time to properly heal after the Open. I was able to get it somewhat better, but looking at it long-term, will I be able to get it through enough matches… And so for me I don’t think I could. I am struggling to walk, so that’s a tell-tell sign I should try and recover.”
“I need four to six weeks of sitting and doing nothing,” she said. “It’s more than likely that I won’t play another tournament this year.”
The injury likely means she will sit out the rest of 2020 leaving the Australian Open in 2021 as her next chance.