Wish Serena a speedy recovery, says Sharapova
Maria Sharapova, the French Open champion in 2012 and 2014, goes on to play a first quarter-final at the Slams since losing to Williams at the same stage at the 2016 Australian Open. Sharapova advanced after Serena Williams pulled out of their fourth round match due to injury.
It was in Melbourne that Sharapova tested positive for meldonium after which she served a 15-month doping ban.
“I was looking forward to my match against Serena and am disappointed that she had to withdraw,” said Sharapova in a statement. “I wish her a speedy recovery and hope she returns to the tour soon.”
Monday’s bombshell announcement was the first time in her 20-year career that Williams had pulled out during a Grand Slam event.
Despite her well-documented fall-outs with Sharapova, Williams insisted she had been looking forward to the match.
“I love playing Maria -- it’s just a match I always get up for. Her game matches so well against mine.”
Despite playing just four matches in 2018 before Roland Garros, Williams played doubles in Paris with sister Venus.
They had been knocked out on Sunday by Andreja Klepac and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez with the American sisters getting a 6-0 bagel in the final set. Serena had gone into that match wearing her striking all-black catsuit but she admitted she had had to tape her serving arm to try and protect the injury.
“Every match has been getting better for me. Physically I’m doing great. I sacrificed so much to be at this event. I can only take solace in the fact I’m going to continue to get better.
“The fact that I physically can’t serve at all is a good indication that maybe I should just go back to the drawing board and stay positive and try to get better and not get it to a point where it could be a lot worse.”
Former world number one Kim Clijsters, who returned from having a baby to win the U.S. Open in 2009, said injuries of this nature are only to be expected for new mums returning to the top tier of sport.
“Pregnancy and birth is physically very demanding and you deal with new injuries that you are not used to. In the first part of my career I’d have recurring injuries and then after I had (daughter) Jada I had new injuries.”
The Belgian believes Williams can still add to her Grand Slam collection, though.
“I think Serena can get close to winning another Grand Slam. I think it’s these kind of new situations that she’ll go home and learn a lot about how she is feeling,” Clijsters added.