Planning to be back Soon, Serena Williams withdraws from Cincinnati -check

The 23-time Grand Slam champion was forced to retire from her opening-round contest against Aliaksandra Sasnovich in June after slipping on Centre Court.

It is now uncertain whether the American will compete in any other warm up event ahead of the US Open later this month. In a statement, the 39-year-old said:

Unfortunately, I will not be playing in the Western & Southern Open next week as I am still in recovery from my leg injury at Wimbledon.

“I will miss all of my fans in Cincinnati whom I look forward to seeing every summer. I plan to be back on the court very soon.

Serena Williams is not the only star to withdraw from the Cincinnati event, with her sister Venus and Sofia Kenin also pulling out.

“Unfortunately I had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open next week,” Kenin said in a statement.

“I am rehabbing well in hopes to play the U.S. Open later this month. I feel another week of recovery is necessary.

The tournament also announced Williams’s sister Venus and compatriot Sofia Kenin will not be taking part in the event.Kenin said she was withdrawing in order to get her body right for the US Open, while the reason for Venus’ withdrawal was not disclosed.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are among a growing number of high-profile players to pull out of the event, which begins on Saturday.