Serena Williams has withdrawn from next week’s Wuhan Open and China Open due to a shoulder injury.
The 34-year-old Williams has been troubled by the problem with her right shoulder since winning Wimbledon, which was her 22nd Grand Slam singles title.
She said her focus was on being fit enough to play in the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore next month.
Williams was recently defeated by Karolina Pliskova at the US Open which ended Williams’ 186-week run as world number one.
She had equaled Steffi Graf’s record for the longest reign at the top of the women’s rankings.
The defeat against Pliskova in the semi-final at Flushing Meadows, saw Williams’ place taken by eventual champion Angelique Kerber.
The Wuhan Open starts on Sunday and will end on Oct. 1, while the China Open will start on Oct. 3.
The American’s withdrawal from the tournaments in Wuhan and Beijing has reduced her chances of reclaiming the number one spot from Kerber before the end of 2016.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Williams won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 1999, when she beat Switzerland’s Martina Hingis in straight sets.(NAN)