23-Grand slam Champion, Serena Williams has pulled out of next week’s Madrid Open, stating she needs more time to prepare for her first competitive season since giving birth.
Serena suffered early exits at Indian Wells and Miami in her only two competitive outings this year, following a 14-month layoff to give birth to her daughter.
The 36-year-old Serena is a two-time Madrid Open champion, winning the 2012 and 2013 editions of the tournament.
Williams will now switch attention to featuring at the Italian Open in Rome, which gets underway on May 14.
That tournament concludes one week before the French Open starts on May 27, in what is set to be Williams’ first Grand Slam appearance since she won the Australian Open in 2017.
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