Serena Williams’ heartbreaking announcement that injury forced her to withdraw from the US Open exposed a disturbing truth for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.

The tennis world was shocked after the player revealed that she has not fully recovered from her hamstring injury and will not attend the US Open.

Williams had to resign because of injury in the main round at Wimbledon and the most recent loss is a disaster for her bid to rise to Margaret Court’s untouched record.

The American hotshot has been one point short of Court’s record of 24 significant singles titles for quite a long time and actually she will be 40 and will probably get one more opportunity to rise to it.

To think about that unforgiving truth, Ken Rosewall turned into the most seasoned singles champion when he arrived at the last of the 1974 US Open.

For Williams to arrive at another significant last — not to mention win — she should resist history and Father Time.

The American star is as of now the most established female tennis player to win a Huge homerun singles crown, winning the 2018 Australian Open at 35 years old while pregnant prior to going home for the year to bring forth little girl Olympia.

She experienced a pneumonic embolism in the wake of conceiving an offspring and was laid up for a long time however retaliated to elite structure, arriving at the finals in 2018 and 2019 at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Perhaps most tellingly, Williams failed to take a set in any of the four trophy matches, the last in New York just shy of her 38th birthday – making her the oldest female finalist in grand slam singles history.

“I feel like people can play longer,” Williams said at Wimbledon. “Technology has played a huge role in that – the way we view the game, the way we recover, the way our shoes are made, the way the equipment is made.

“Because normally people retire at 29, 30 – before 29, 30, 32 was the max. I feel like there are several players at that age who are just hitting their stride.”

Williams won 10 Grand Slam titles in her 30s, taking each crown at least twice, and was a runner-up six more times, at least once in all four events.

Whether or not Williams ever matches Court’s record, many consider her the greatest women’s tennis player ever.

“Either way she’s the greatest female player in my book that has ever played, one of the greatest athletes, period, that has ever played,” said US legend John McEnroe.

Serena Williams withdrawal ‘the only possible decision’

The woman who began playing against older sister Venus under the guidance of her father Richard has won seven Australian Open and seven Wimbledon titles, three French Opens and six US Open crowns, including her first at age 17 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 1999.

She lost to Victoria Azarenka in last year’s US Open semi-finals and fell to Naomi Osaka in this year’s Australian Open semi-finals.

For more than two decades, Williams has faced new generations of rivals who raised their games whenever she was across the net from them.

Serena Williams withdrawal ‘the only possible decision’

The woman who began playing against older sister Venus under the guidance of her father Richard has won seven Australian Open and seven Wimbledon titles, three French Opens and six US Open crowns, including her first at age 17 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in 1999.

She lost to Victoria Azarenka in last year’s US Open semi-finals and fell to Naomi Osaka in this year’s Australian Open semi-finals.

For more than two decades, Williams has faced new generations of rivals who raised their games whenever she was across the net from them.

Serena Williams hasn’t played since retiring hurt in the first round at Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)

“It has definitely made me better,” Williams said.

“I’ve had a big X on my back since ’99, since I won the US Open. When players play me that hard every single tournament, every single match, every single Grand Slam, it just doesn’t matter where, you just get better.”

Williams said she was “heartbroken” when she was forced to leave the court at Wimbledon injured, her spirits lifted by a cheering crowd who were hoping they hadn’t watched her final bow at Centre Court.

“Serena Williams has been fully committed to her recovery and we’ve done everything we could,” tweeted Williams coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

“But her body isn’t ready. It is heartbreaking, but this is the only possible decision.”

Williams has played a minimal schedule most seasons to help her longevity.

“Playing the way I played helped my career,” she said. “I don’t think I could have played as long if I had to play a lot of weeks. You just have to figure out what works for you and go with it.”