By Tennis Now | Tuesday May 14, 2019
Serena Williams’ long awaited return to the WTA Tour has been cut short. Williams announced her withdrawal from her third-round match at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on Tuesday due to a right knee injury.
“I must withdraw from the Italian Open due to pain in my left knee,” Williams said in a statement. “I will miss the fans and competition at one of my favorite tournaments.”
The 37-year-old was slated to face her sister Venus in third round action.
She will now look forward to getting healthy for Roland Garros, which begins next Sunday.
“I’ll be concentrating on rehab and look forward to seeing you all at the French Open and next year in Rome,” she said.