Serena Williams, the world’s No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player, has pulled out of the Istanbul Cup due to injury, organizers announced Saturday.
Williams, 28, was injured last week and will require surgery, the WTA Tour said on its website.
“I’m so upset I won’t be able to play in the upcoming events,” Williams said in a statement. “Thank you for all of your support. I can’t wait to get back on the courts.”
Reportedly, Williams cut her right foot on broken glass at a restaurant. Ayda Uluç, chief of the Turkish Tennis Federation, or TTF, said in a statement that she was very sorry about the unlucky incident. “We are in talks with WTA officials to include another top player to replace Serena in Istanbul Cup,” Uluç added.
Williams, who two weeks ago collected her 13th major tournament title with a victory at Wimbledon, was set to play in the Istanbul Cup which opens July 26 at ENKA Arena.
She will also miss WTA Tour events on Aug. 9 and 16 in Cincinnati and Montreal respectively. It is not clear how the injury will affect her preparation for the U.S. Open, the season’s final major championship, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 30 at Flushing Meadows, New York.
