Former world No.1 Serena Williams is unlikely to play another competitive match this year after withdrawing from the upcoming China Open in Beijing.
On Monday, the official entry list for the tournament stated that the 23-time grand slam champion would not be participating. Williams was set to play at the China Open before bringing her season to a close. The American hasn’t played a match on the tour since her dramatic US Open clash with Naomi Osaka. Williams was issued three warnings by umpire Carlos Ramos that resulted in a game penalty. A decision that has triggered a widespread debate in the sport after Williams argued that she would not have been given such punishment if she was a man. She was later fined $17,000
“If you’re a female, you should be able to do even what half a guy could do and I feel right now that we are not, as it is proven, in that position. But that’s neither here nor there.
“I’m trying to recover from that (the US Open final) and move on.” She said during a recent interview for Network Ten’s The Sunday Project.
During the same interview, Williams has insisted that she was not receiving any coaching during the US Open final. Shortly after the match her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, admitted that he was coaching by making gestures with his hands. Something that Ramos noticed in the crowd.
“I just don’t understand what he was talking about because I asked him, you weren’t coaching, we don’t have signals, we’ve never had signals and he said he made a motion,” Williams told the program.
There is yet to be any official confirmation from either Williams or her camp about her plans for the rest of the year. Williams, who turns 37 today, returned to the tour in March after giving birth to her first child. Since then, she has won 18 out of 24 matches played at seven tournaments. Reaching the final of two grand slam events in Flushing Meadows and Wimbledon.
Williams is currently ranked 16th in the world. She has climbed more than 400 places over the past six months.
2018 season summary
Indian Wells – R3
Miami – R1
French Open – R4
Wimbledon – RU
San Jose – R1
Cincinnati – R1
US Open – RU
Record against top 20 players = 6 – 4 (wins over Julia Goerges twice, Venus Williams, Karolina Pliskova, Anastasija Sevastova and Ashleigh Barty)
