MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams has retired from an Australian Open tuneup tournament, claiming a right shoulder injury on Friday, just hours after setting up a semi-final match against top Ash Ash Barty.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion does not usually play in a tournament in the week before a Grand Slam event, but he made an exception before last year’s US Open and for this Australian Open due to all the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic. -19.
The 39-year-old American has played her first tournament since retiring from the French Open before the second-round match due to an Achilles tendon injury in October. She, like all players traveling to Australia for the tournament, had to be quarantined for 14 days and had limited practice during this time.
With the first major in the year starting Monday, Williams could rest better.
He scored three wins at the Yarra Valley Classic – one of six Melbourne Park tournaments this week – culminating in a 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 victory in a draw against Danielle Collins on Friday.
The withdrawal came after the post-match press conference – when he made no reference to any issues – so no full explanation was given.
It means Barty will make it to the finals and will rest on Saturday.
There were 70 matches on the order of play on Friday, an extended schedule a day after all matches in six tournaments were postponed, so that 160 players and 507 people in total could isolate and be tested, as a worker at a quarantine hotel returned a positive test. Tennis Australia said all tests were negative.
To speed things up a bit at the end of the tournament, 17 pitches were used, and the women’s matches were reduced to two regular sets, with a 10-point tiebreaker, if necessary.
Williams and Barty had to play the tiebreaker – Barty defeated Shelby Rogers 7-5, 2-6, 10-4.
Before retiring, Williams said he was looking forward to the semifinals.
“It’s definitely a good opportunity to see where I’m going against the current No. 1, it’s very important to me,” Williams said. “Obviously, I think for her to see where it goes against my game.
“It’s been 12 long months. Tennis has been played, but not really, so … hopefully this is like a new year where things will be different.”
Garbine Muguruza defeated Australian Open defending champion Sofia Kenin 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals, reversing the result of the 2020 final at Melbourne Park. The next will play number 8 Marketa Vondrousova.