Not "where I personally want to be" after nearly a year away from the game, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has withdrawn from this month's Australian Open. The 36-year-old hasn't played a tour-level match since winning last year's Australian Open, although she competed in last week's Abu Dhabi exhibition, where she lost to Jelena Ostapenko. While many considered her participation a precursor to a title defense in Melbourne, that will not be the case.
“After competing in Abu Dhabi I realized that although I am super close, I’m not where I personally want to be,” Williams said in a statement released by the Australian Open. “My coach and team always said ‘only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way’. I can compete – but I don’t want to just compete, I want to do far better than that and to do so, I will need a little more time."
“With that being said, and even though I am disappointed about it, I’ve decided not to compete in the Australian Open this year. The memory of last year’s Open is one that I will carry with me, and Olympia and I look forward to coming back again. I appreciate the support and understanding of my fans and everyone at the Australian Open.”
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