Serena Williams withdraws her name from Italian Open

Tennis | Saturday | 12th September, 2020

Four-time champion Serena Williams withdrew her name on Saturday from the upcoming Italian Open citing the Achilles issue that bothered her in a loss to Victoria Azarenka in the U.S. Open semi-finals.

Williams took a medical timeout for a tape job on her Achilles during her three-set loss on Thursday.

The Italian Open, which was rescheduled from May due to the coronavirus pandemic, begins Monday.

Azarenka remained entered for Rome.

In the men’s tournament, U.S. Open finalists Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev withdrew, as did Daniil Medvedev, who lost to Thiem in the semifinals in New York.

Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal headlines the field at the Foro Italico, marking his return to tennis after a seven-month layoff. The Spaniard has been practicing in Rome for several days.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who was disqualified from the U.S. Open, is also entered.

The clay-court tournament in Rome is a warmup event for the French Open, which starts Sept. 27.