Serena Williams withdraws from the Rogers Cup

WTA Tour
Serena Williams warming up

Former world No 1 Serena Williams won’t feature in the Canadian Open as the 23-time Grand Slam winner pulled out of the event.

The American, who suffered the worst defeat of her career at the Silicon Valley Classic last week as she went down 6-1, 6-0 to Johanna Konta, withdrew from the Rogers Cup due to personal reasons.

“Of course, we are disappointed that Serena will not be joining us,” tournament director Eugène Lapierre said. “Fans were very much looking forward to seeing her in action.

“But beyond the disappointment, the tournament, as a whole, remains a high-level competition. The entire Top 10 is here, along with 22 of the Top 25. There are exciting matches in store from the outset.”

Three-time Canadian Open winner Williams, who has played only five WTA Tour events since giving birth to her daughter Olympia in September last year, was set to play in Toronto for the first time since 2015.

She will be replaced in the main draw by Tatjana Maria and the German will face Alize Cornet from France in the first round.

Serena Williams

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