United States (U.S.) tennis star, Serena Williams, will not compete at the Australian Open in January on the advice of doctors, organisers announced on Wednesday.
The seven-time winner, 40, is still one behind the all-time record of grand slam tournament victories with 23.
She said: “While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete.
“Melbourne is one of my favourite cities to visit and I look forward to playing at the AO every year.
“I will miss seeing the fans, but I am excited to return and compete at my highest level”.
