New York: Serena Williams, who has dropped to 172nd in the world after being sidelined for almost a year with injury and illness, has opted to use an injury-protected ranking to gain entry into the US Open, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said.
Champion Kim Clijsters will also be back to defend her title in New York after being sidelined during Wimbledon with a foot injury.
Williams, who won the last of her 13 grand slam titles at Wimbledon in 2010, can use her injury-protected number one ranking to enter eight tournaments, including one grand slam, since she was sidelined over six months with health issues, according to the USTA.
The American lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon last month after being out of action for nearly a year -- during which she suffered a foot injury and life-threatening blood clots.Clijsters, who will be seeking a third-successive US Open crown, has had her season disrupted by injury since beating China`s Li Na to win the Australian Open in January.
She injured her ankle while dancing at her cousin`s wedding, resulting in a two-month lay-off. She returned to play in the French Open but was knocked out in the second round by Dutch world number 114 Arantxa Rus.The US Open runs from August 29-September 11 in New York and will include 97 of the top 100 women players.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.