June 19, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Venus Williams has announced that she will not be taking part in Wimbledon this year due to a lower back injury. The tennis superstar has played at the grass court Grand Slam tournament for 16 consecutive years, winning the event five times in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008, and two other Grand Slam championships at the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001. Matches at Wimbledon begin Monday, June 24.
The 33-year-old Venus has been suffering with back problems for a while. She has played only three matches in the past two-plus months. The injuries affected her match against 40th-ranked Urszula Radwanska at the French Open last month, which she lost. She and her sister then withdrew from French Open doubles competition. The inflammation in her back has made it too painful for Venus to serve.
Venus, who suffers from the autoimmune disease Sjogren’s syndrome, is now ranked 34th in the world. In the past four Grand Slam tournaments, she has had two first-round losses, including her defeat at Wimbledon last year.
Due to an abdominal strain, Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia has also pulled out of Wimbledon. She was seeded at number 26 at the All England Club, but has now pushed Klara Zakopalova to 32. Kuznetsova won the U.S. Open in 2004 and the French Open in 2009, but has never made it past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
