Serena Williams’ heartbreaking announcement that injury has forced her to withdraw from the US Open has exposed a worrying truth for the 23-time grand slam singles champion.
The tennis world was left gutted after the 39-year-old revealed on Wednesday night that she hasn’t fully recovered from a hamstring injury and would not be participating at the US Open, starting next week.
Williams was forced to retire hurt in the first round at Wimbledon in June, and the latest setback is a cruel blow in her quest to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record.
The American superstar has been stranded one major short of Court’s record 24 grand slam singles titles for several years and the reality is that she will be 40 years old the next time she potentially has another crack at equalling it.
To put that brutal truth into perspective, Ken Rosewall was 37 when he became the oldest grand slam singles winner and 39 when he reached the 1974 US Open final.
