Australian Open: Serena Williams does not start
Serena Williams will not compete in the Australian Open 2022. The name of the 23-time Grand Slam winner is missing from the entry list for the first major of the coming year.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Dec 08, 2021, 08:10 am
If it should stay with the 23 major titles of Serena Williams, Australia will occupy a special place in the record of the American woman. Because not only did Serena win seven championships in Melbourne - no, possibly her very last Grand Slam title. In 2017 it was when she defeated sister Venus in the final. Since then, Williams has been chasing Margaret Court's record, failing four other final attempts (in 2018 and 2019, respectively, at Wimbledon and at the US Open).
There will be no more attempts in Australia. The name of the 40-year-old Serena is missing from the entry list for the Australian Open 2022. No surprise when you look at the activities Williams posts on social media: tennis-specific exercises are hardly to be found among them.
Serena Williams has not been used since Wimbledon
At the latest edition in Melbourne earlier this year, Serena Williams made it to the semifinals again. But lost there against the eventual winner Naomi Osaka . Whether and in what condition the Japanese will start is one of the exciting questions before the start of the coming season. Osaka has not played a match since retiring from the French Open. Serena had ended her season after losing against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Wimbledon.
It is never easy to make this decision, Williams said in a broadcast. But she doesn't feel able to play competitive tennis at the moment. But: she is looking forward to coming back to Australia. Whenever that will be.