Venus Williams ‘overwhelmed’ by hamstring injury, preparing for rehab grind

Williams was set to play in her 22nd Australian Open after being given a wildcard but the twice finalist sustained the injury while preparing at the Auckland Classic.

Published : Feb 08, 2023 11:08 IST

FILE PHOTO: Venus Williams reacts during her first-round doubles match with sister Serena Williams against Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova at the US Open on September 1, 2022, in New York. 
FILE PHOTO: Venus Williams reacts during her first-round doubles match with sister Serena Williams against Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova at the US Open on September 1, 2022, in New York.  | Photo Credit: AP
infoIcon

FILE PHOTO: Venus Williams reacts during her first-round doubles match with sister Serena Williams against Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova at the US Open on September 1, 2022, in New York.  | Photo Credit: AP

Seven-times Grand Slam champion Venus Williams faces a long spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury that ended her hopes of playing in last month’s Australian Open but the 42-year-old is determined to get back on court at some point.

Williams was set to play in her 22nd Australian Open after being given a wildcard but the twice finalist sustained the injury while preparing at the Auckland Classic.

“To be honest, I was super overwhelmed by the injury,” Williams said on her YouTube channel. “I’ve been injured a long time now and I couldn’t believe I had to go back to rehab.

“After about a week, I started setting up my doctors appointments and started thinking about what was next for me and trying to really get a handle on how much time it’ll take for me to get back.

Also Read | Retiring wheelchair tennis legend Kunieda happy to change perceptions

“This is the kind of injury that you have to let it rest a bit before you can start to do serious rehab ... You have to walk before you run and I’m starting to walk pretty good. Hopefully, I’ll be running soon, but for now, I’ll not be playing tennis.”

Williams, who has won five Wimbledon titles and two U.S Open crowns, is ranked 664th in the world having returned to competitive action in Auckland for the first time since being dumped out of last year’s U.S. Open in the first round.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment