Four-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova will not participate in the upcoming U.S. Open due to a shoulder injury. The 26-year-old withdrew from the New York City tournament earlier this week, citing elbow bursitis as the cause of her pain and eventual submission. Since falling in the second round of the recent Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament, the 2006 U.S. Open champion has played in only one match on tour and it appears for now that her main goal is to let her shoulder injury heal before doing further damage.
In addition to her winning the 2006 Open, the international superstar also won the 2004 Wimbledon championship, the 2008 Australian Open and the 2012 French Open. Capping off the career Grand Slam last year, Sharapova will surely miss participating in the 2013 U.S. Open since the third ranked player in the world was among the favorites to hoist the trophy despite her recent struggles at the All England Club. Upset that her injury has yet to heal, Sharapova indicated on her personal website that she is taking the proper steps toward recovery and notes that she is excited about the 2014 U.S. Open.
I just wanted to let you know that withdrawing from the US Open has been a really tough decision to make. I have done everything I could since Wimbledon to get myself ready, but it just wasn't enough time. I have done many tests, received several opinions and it all comes down to taking the proper amount of time to heal my shoulder injury properly.
It's certainly not an easy decision to make ahead of one of my favorite tournaments, but I know it's the right one that will get me back on the courts soon. I plan on taking the next few weeks off, receiving proper treatment and rehabilitation. I will miss being part of the US Open, but can't wait for next year.
Though one of the most popular figures in the game of tennis will not be present when the U.S. Open gets underway from the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York next week, fans in attendance and the millions more watching from home will have the opportunity to see some of the world's best on both the men's and women's sides.
Four-time Open champion Serena Williams enters the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed on the women's side while Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska and Sara Errani round out the top 4 seeds in the field. Williams begins her title defense against Francesca Sciavone while Azarenka - the 2012 Open runner-up - will take on Dinah Pfizenmaier.
Defending men's champion Andy Murray is slated in the No. 3 slot for this year's tournament while Novak Djokovic maintains the top slot in the world and for the United States Open.
The 2013 U.S. Open gets underway on Monday, August 26 and runs through Monday, September 9.
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