Serena Williams Gives Huge Update on Her Right Shoulder Injury Ahead of Australian Open 2021

Published 02/05/2021, 10:59 PM EST

Top tennis star Serena Williams has provided an update on the status of her shoulder injury, which has spawned worries on her participation in the upcoming Australian Open.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from the ongoing Yarra Valley Classic, a WTA 500 event in Melbourne, on Friday citing an injury to her right shoulder.

Serena Williams withdraws from Melbourne WTA 500 after reaching the semi-final

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Serena was to play World Number 1 and home favorite, Ashleigh Barty, in the semi-finals on Saturday after coming through a tricky round-of-eight tie against fellow American, Danielle Collins.

Serena’s pullout enabled Barty to get a walkover into the title clash. However, speaking to reporters ahead of the Australian Open, which kicks off on February 8, the 39-year-old Serena provided a sunnier outlook on her chances of competing for the year’s first Major.

She said she has received plenty of treatment on her sore right shoulder already and is hopeful that the injury will heal in time for her opening round fixture at the Australian Open.

Serena Williams spoke to reporters ahead of #AusOpen: "I've gotten a lot of treatment already on my shoulder. But I'm super confident it's going to be great.
"I'm feeling very confident, I think is a better word, and getting ready for hopefully the next two weeks."
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) February 6, 2021

“I have gotten a lot of treatment already on my shoulder. But I’m super confident it’s going to be great,” Serena said.

Serena bidding for a record 24th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2021

The American added that she is “very confident” of recovering substantially for all the challenges that lie in wait over the next two weeks at Melbourne Park.

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“I’m feeling very confident, I think is a better word, and getting ready for hopefully the next two weeks,” the current World Number 11 said.

Serena is bidding for a record 24th Grand Slam title at the Open, which will level her with the legendary Margaret Court’s career haul of Major championship trophies and reaffirm her status as a modern-day stalwart in the women’s game.

The 39-year-American hasn’t tasted Grand Slam glory in three years, with her last championship win coming at the Australian Open in 2017.

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“They Currently Don’t Have an Income” – Serena Williams on Plight of Tennis Players

That win helped her go past her onetime rival Steffi Graf’s Grand Slam tally of 22 titles.

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Priyabrata Chowdhury is a tennis author for EssentiallySports. He has been a print journalist for a decade, producing news pages for leading national dailies such as the Hindustan Times and The New Indian Express. His passion for sports eventually drove him to tennis writing.

Serena Williams Gives Huge Update on Her Right Shoulder Injury Ahead of Australian Open 2021

Serena Williams withdraws from Melbourne WTA 500 after reaching the semi-final

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