MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Champion Serena Williams has withdrawn from January's Australian Open as she struggles to recover from a foot injury which has sidelined her since July, organizers said on Thursday.
Serena has not played competitively since beating Vera Zvonareva to win Wimbledon in early July and has been forced to undergo a second surgery on the foot she hurt by standing on broken glass at a restaurant.
"As I recently learned, pushing myself back into my intense training too early only caused me further injury and damage," the American said.
"While I desperately want to be back on the court and competing in the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, it is imperative for my health that I continue to work with my doctors to ensure my foot heals properly."
Australian Open organizers said the player had been in regular contact with them and tournament director Craig Tiley wished her a speedy recovery.
"Serena is a great champion and we will miss her in January. We send her our very best wishes for a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming her back to Australia soon."
(Writing by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Ossian Shine)
