Serena Williams abruptly pulled out of French Open match against Maria Sharapova
By Josh Hill
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were set to renew their rivalry at Roland Garros, but an arm injury got in the way.
If you were hoping to get your fix of Serena Williams battling Maria Sharapova, you’re going to have to wait. With the dup set to battle at the French Open on Monday, it appears that an arm injury will force a withdrawal for the 23-time Grand Slam winning Williams.
Moments before the duo were set to take each other on at the French Open, Williams abruptly pulled out. She will give an official explanation at a press conference but early reports indicate that an arm injury is a reason for the withdrawal.
It’s truly unfortunate, as there are few spectacles greater than watching two of the world’s best tennis players go at it on a stage as Grand as the French Open. While some may argue that the term ‘rivalry’ is extremely flexible when it comes to Williams and Sharapova, there’s never a match between the two that isn’t deemed required viewing.
Compounding the unfortunate nature of this withdrawal is the fact that Williams was playing rather well at Roland Garros. She had dropped only one set the entire tournament, which made the idea that Sharapova could end her run even more enticing.
We can chalk it all up to a great ‘What-If’ moment, and lick our wounds of being deprived a potentially fantastic match in France.