Tennis legend, Serena Williams is the latest top-ranked player to withdraw from the Miami Open, an event she has won eight times now. Williams is pulling out of the event to recover after recently having oral surgery. William’s last feature was in the Australian Open back in February where she was lost in the semi-finals to Naomi Osaka. Other players who have pulled out of the event include world number one, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Dominic Thiem.

Speaking on the development, Serena expressed her regrets to fans, apologizing for disappointing them; “I am disappointed to withdraw. Miami is a special tournament for me because it’s my home. I am sad I won’t be able to see the incredible fans this year, but I look forward to coming back soon.” Williams last won the event in 2015.

Miami Open tournament director, James Blake had this to say about Serena; “we will certainly miss having Serena at this year’s tournament and I know it was a very difficult decision for her. She has won the Miami Open more than any player in history, has a home here in South Florida, and is always a fan favourite.” He also wished her a quick recovery and hoped that she would be available for next year’s edition.

Last week, Novak Djokovic announced that he would be pulling out of the event to spend time with his family. Last month at the Australian Open, Djokovic suffered a muscle tear but was able to cope with it and ended up winning the tournament. In his message on Instagram, Djokovic apologised to fans but said that he was going to spend the time with his family.

Rafael Nadal is out due to a back injury which has forced him out of many events and has seen him slip to third place on the ATP ranking. Roger Federer is still in a recovery phase and would be much more ready for events later this year.

Written by: Leon Osamor