Serena Williams withdraws from WTA Finals, cites injured shoulder
'It's been a really tough year for me,' says player
Serena Williams will miss the season-ending WTA Finals for the second year in a row, citing a right shoulder injury.
The WTA announced Williams' withdrawal from the tournament a week before play begins next Sunday in Singapore, releasing a video from the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion.
BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams">@SerenaWilliams</a> has withdrawn from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WTAFinals?src=hash">#WTAFinals</a>. This is her message to the fans. Get well soon Serena! <a href="https://t.co/E9GfwjERc0">pic.twitter.com/E9GfwjERc0</a>
—@WTAWilliams says she is "really, really bummed" to skip the event, but adds that her doctor "insists that I stay home and heal" her shoulder.
Adds the 35-year-old American: "It's been a really tough year for me."
She hasn't played since losing to Karolina Pliskova in the U.S. Open semifinals in early September, a defeat that resulted in Williams ceding the No. 1 ranking to Angelique Kerber after a 3 1/2-year stay at the top.
Williams played in only eight tournaments in 2016, winning two of them, including Wimbledon in July.