Tennis:Serena Williams is unlikely to play again this year after failing to shake off a foot injury.
The American has not played since winning Wimbledon in July after cutting her foot in a restaurant but has trained in recent weeks with a view to playing in the Generali Ladies Linz event in Austria this week.
But she has had to delay her comeback, revealing she has re-strained her foot by over-training.
In a posting on her official website, Williams said: “I have been training for many weeks to get back to playing tennis as quickly possible since my foot surgery in mid-July.
“I learned that I had tried too hard, and did too much too soon. After practising yesterday morning I felt discomfort in my foot and tests by my doctor revealed that I had unfortunately re-strained it, as a result of over training.
“I am likely out for the year now. I was really looking forward to beginning my comeback in Linz, followed by the year-end championships in Doha. I feel completely heartbroken, and devastated, but I plan on coming back stronger and better.”
Tournament organisers confirmed Williams’ withdrawal from the tournament in Linz yesterday.
Williams will lose her world number one spot when the latest WTA rankings are published today, after 20-year-old Dane Caroline Wozniacki secured top spot by reaching the quarter-finals at the Beijing tournament.