Venus Williams ended a few weeks of speculation on Wednesday by deciding not to play this weekend’s Fed Cup tie against Russia, leaving the U.S. without a Top 30 player to compete against Russia and two-time Grand Slam finalist Elena Dementieva.
U.S. Fed Cup Captain Mary Joe Fernandez had left the door open for Venus to compete by holding a spot for her on the team, but on Wednesday, Williams, who has been practicing at home in Florida, said that the knee injury that she aggravated at the Miami tournament last month hasn’t fully healed.
“I am continuing to rehabilitate my knee and regret that I will not be able to participate in the Fed Cup tie against Russia this weekend,” Williams said in a statement. “I waited until this moment in hopes that I would have an opportunity to play, but I am being advised by my medical support team that I will need more time to recover.”
Fernandez named three team members last week in Melanie Oudin, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and doubles specialist Liezel Huber. The fourth spot will go to one of two teenagers, Sloane Stephens or Julia Bosserup, who are already in Birmingham working out with the team.
“I think everybody knows it's a huge attraction when Venus and Serena play,” said US captain Mary Joe Fernandez. “They've done so much for the game. It would have been a bonus to have either one or both of them here. I've always said in the past - and this is something that I learn from Billie Jean King – you want the team that wants to be there. You want the team that believes in playing for their country and makes it a huge priority and commitment.”
Venus was supposed to call Fernandez on Tuesday night and let her know of her decision, but didn’t let her know until Wednesday, just three days before the tie is scheduled to begin.
“It kind of threw everyone for a loop, especially me, because I have to be ready for singles and doubles,” Mattek-Sands told TENNIS.com. “It’s better to know in advance. In my mind I was playing singles [anyway] I joined the Fed Cup team thinking that would the case because Venus and Serena have been 50-50 the whole way through.”
Only two Russian players—Dementieva and Ekaterina Makarova—were on site as of Wednesday. Russian captain Shamil Tarpischev and Alla Kudryavtseva were said to have caught flights on Wednesday.—M.C.