'Surprise twist' to Venus' US Open withdrawal

Serena and Venus Williams added themselves to the database of big-name withdrawals from the US Open connected Wednesday, making this the archetypal clip since 2003 neither of the sisters volition look successful the year's past Grand Slam tournament.

Serena, who turns 40 adjacent month, cited a torn close hamstring that has kept her retired of contention since she was injured successful the archetypal acceptable of her first-round lucifer astatine Wimbledon successful precocious June.

Venus, who is 41, said she has a limb injury. They announced their decisions via societal media posts astir 10 hours apart.

"Not the champion quality from Serena and I today. I, too, americium incapable to play the US Open. It's ace super ace disappointing," Venus said. "Having immoderate issues with my limb each this summertime and conscionable couldn't enactment done it."

Venus Williams (Getty)

However, present that Venus has much clip connected her hands, she urged the world's "bachelors" to travel forward.

"I cognize I said this twelvemonth I was undateable astatine Wimbledon, but I person changed my caput now," Venus added.

"Now that I person escaped time, I'm accepting applications from each bachelors supra 5 feet tall, astute but not smarter than me, has a occupation and doesn't speech excessively much.

"My manager Eric Hechtman is taking connected applications."

The Americans articulation Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal successful sitting retired the competition successful Flushing Meadows, wherever play begins adjacent Monday, raising questions astir what the aboriginal of tennis mightiness look similar without them. The gully for the tourney is released aboriginal this week.

This volition beryllium the archetypal large tourney since the 1997 Australian Open without immoderate of the 4 successful the singles brackets. Venus made her Grand Slam debut astatine the 1997 French Open; Serena arrived the adjacent year; Federer showed up successful 1999; Nadal successful 2003.

Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, a grounds successful the nonrecreational era. Only 1 subordinate successful tennis past owns more, Margaret Court with 24. Venus has won seven, including astatine the US Open successful 2000 and 2001.

Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic stock the men's grounds of 20.

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