July 31, 2014 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
China’s Li Na has withdrawn from the U.S Open because of a knee injury, she announced on Facebook Thursday. The Australian Open champion will also miss the upcoming hard-court tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati.
Li has been dealing with a right knee issue since March, and says she does not feel physically ready to compete at the highest level. She posted on her Facebook page:
“I wanted to let all of my great fans know that unfortunately I am going to have to withdraw from the upcoming WTA events in Montreal and Cincinnati, as well as the US Open. Since March, I have been struggling with my knee and it is just not where I need it to be in order to play at the highest level. My medical team has advised me that I need to take some time off to rest my knee so it heels. I look forward to getting back on the court this fall in Wuhan and Beijing.”
She currently sits at number two in the world rankings behind Serena Williams and is third on the Road to Singapore leaderboard behind Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep.
This is the first time Li has pulled out of a Grand Slam since the 2009 Australian Open, which she was forced to miss because of a knee injury as well.
