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.

BREAKING NEWS: Due to a continuing left knee injury, @serenawilliams has been forced to pull out of the @InteBNLdItalia.

As a result, Venus Williams receives a walkover into the third round--> https://t.co/SskzMlkdZF pic.twitter.com/nn7l7FSk5v

— WTA (@WTA) May 14, 2019

“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.