Maria Sharapova pulled out of the U.S. Open on Wednesday because of a right shoulder injury.
The U.S. Tennis Association announced the withdrawal of the 2006 champion, who has played only one match on tour since her second-round loss at Wimbledon in June. Sharapova originally was seeded third at the U.S. Open. The USTA said 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanksa would shift from No. 4 to No. 3, and all other seeded players below her would move up a spot, too.
"I just wanted to let you know that withdrawing from the U.S. Open has been a really tough decision to make. I have done everything I could since Wimbledon to get myself ready but it just wasn't enough time," read a message posted on Sharapova's Facebook page on Wednesday. "I have done many tests, received several opinions and it all comes down to taking the proper amount of time to heal my shoulder injury properly."
The USTA said Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova would become the No. 32 seed. The draw for the year's last Grand Slam tournament is Thursday, play begins Monday. Sharapova's surprising exit caps a tumultuous couple of weeks for the four-time major winner and former No. 1-ranked player. She was sidelined by a hip injury after Wimbledon. Sharapova last skipped the U.S. Open in 2008, when she was off the tour for about 10 months because of surgery on her right shoulder.
the secret of roger federer’s success
New York: Since Roger Federer and his wife, Mirka, had their twin daughters four years ago, the girls have become fixtures on the tennis circuit, traveling with Federer from tournament to tournament. But their immersion in the tennis world hasn't made Myla Rose and Charlene Riva eager to pick up tennis rackets. Federer says they haven't shown any interest in following in the footsteps of their famous dad (or mom, who was also a professional tennis player).
"They're not crazy about it. Either you like doing that or you don't. And they're in that part which they don't," Federer said in a recent interview."They'd rather draw, listen to music, and dance, swim and do those kinds of things, which I'm really quite happy about. As long as they're active and they do sports, which I think is good for them, then I'm all for it. I'm not pushing them in any way. But if they do it, I'm happy to help them out."
Federer would be the ideal helper if that happens. He is the all-time Grand Slam champion with 17 titles under his belt.Still, he hasn't won a major title since Wimbledon in 2012, and at the U.S. Open, scheduled to start in the New York borough of Queens on Monday, he's seeded seventh - the first time he's been outside the top three at a Grand Slam tournament since 2003.
His goal, though, hasn't changed: "Win the U.S. Open.""It's fun chasing something you want to win again like I did in 2008," Federer said.With his girls with him, though, he's not as singularly focused as he used to be."Tennis still remains a big priority in my life, like it used to, it's just that I've adjusted to a new situation," he said.
Federer's face shows the contentment of family life - just the mention of his wife and children and his face beams with joy."I didn't have kids to have a reality check. I had kids because I love my wife and we wanted to start a family," Federer said."It's been challenging, but you learn more about yourself."
Federer says that throughout his career, he has always tried to balance his time with "things other than tennis." But instead of an active nightlife, the activities have gotten more family oriented.