Tough times! Serena Williams withdraws from US Open with 24th Grand Slam title ever so elusive

Serena Williams hopes of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title took another hit on Wednesday when she announced on her Instagram page that she was pulling out of next week's US Open because of a hamstring injury. The 39-year-old living legend had to admit defeat in her bid to get fit in time.

"After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring. New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favourite places to play — I'll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar. Thank you for your continued support and love. I'll see you soon."

Williams, who had not played since a tearful first-round exit at Wimbledon when she hobbled off the court during the first set against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, is a six-time winner in New York. She missed last week's event in Cincinnati in a bid to get fit for Flushing Meadows and said she hoped "to be back on the court very soon", but her hamstring ultimately failed to recover in time, much to her disappointment. The withdrawal marks the latest setback for a player who has dominated women's tennis since collecting her first major at the US Open in 1999 as a teenager and is viewed by many as the greatest female player of all time.

The problem for Williams, who turns 40 in September, is that the target of equalling Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles looks more remote than ever.

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Back in 2017, when she won the Australian Open to move to within one of the controversial Court's tally, she looked odds-on to achieve that and more. Even after taking time out that year to have her baby daughter Olympia, she was expected to return as dominant as before with few likely rivals on the horizon. However, since then it has been a tale of regression by degrees from reaching four finals -- two at Wimbledon (2018, 2019) and two at the US Open (2018,20 19) -- and falling short every time.

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Last year, albeit one in which Wimbledon did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic, her fortunes dipped even lower as for the first time since 2006 she failed to reach a Grand Slam final, something she will repeat in 2021.

© Agence France-Presse