Venus Williams followed sister Serena out of the 2021 US Open on Wednesday, withdrawing with a leg injury.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion has played just 12 matches this year, and was sidelined for over a month after Wimbledon. Now ranked world No. 142, she returned to the tour on Monday at the Chicago Women's Open, losing in the first round to Hsieh Su-Wei.
"Not the best news from Serena and me today," Williams said in a video statement on her social media channels. "It's super, super, super disappointing. [I've been] having some issues with my leg all this summer. Just couldn't work through it... I just was unable to figure out the equation, and there's been so many times when I was able to figure it out. This time, I couldn't just make any miracles work."
Now ranked world No. 147, Williams had initially received a wild card to this year's tournament, but eventually received direct entry following other withdrawals by virtue of a ranking of No. 112 at the entry deadline.
While she says there's no timetable for her return to tennis, the two-time US Open winner, 41, says she is committed to a comeback.
"I'm going to miss the Open. It's my favorite Slam and I've had so many amazing memories there and I can't wait to get back out on the court, whenever that is," she said. "I'm really disappointed and it's a tough time right now, but like all tough times, they don't last forever."
