Serena Williams Not Yet Ready as She Officially Withdraws from Australian Open
Tennis champion and new mom, Serena Williams, has withdrawn from the Australian Open … saying she’s not quite ready to compete on a tournament level after just giving birth on September 1, 2017 to her beautiful daughter.
Serena lost her first match on Dec. 30, 2017, losing 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 to Latvian Jelena Ostanpenko in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi.
Serena Williams officially withdraws from Australian Open, says she isn
In her post-match comments she said:
“I don’t think I am going to rate my performance. I have plenty of comebacks, from injuries, from surgeries, but I’ve never had a comeback after actually giving birth to a human being. So, in my eyes, I feel it was a wonderful, wonderful match for me.”
”I don’t know if I am totally ready to come back on the tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships,” Williams said. “I am definitely looking forward to getting back out there. I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with my team before deciding.”
She confirmed that she would be staying home from the tournament in a Snapchat post on Thursday, saying, “I’m not where I personally want to be” and that she is “disappointed” to have to make this announcement.
“After performing in my first match after giving birth I realized that although I am super close I’m not where I personally want to be.”
“My coach and team always said ‘Only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way.'”