World number three Maria Sharapova has announced she will not be taking part in this year’s US Open after suffering inflammation in her right shoulder.
Sharapova revealed that she has been struggling with a shoulder problem since she made an early shock exit from Wimbledon in the summer.
The four-time Grand Slam winner has a history of shoulder injuries in the past and was forced to miss around nine months of competition after surgery in 2008.
The 26-year-old is keen to avoid going under the knife once again and is hopeful it will heal on its own with the right treatment and rehabilitation.
The Russian also recently split with her coach Jimmy Connors following defeat to American Sloane Stephens in her opening game at the Cincinnati Open.
Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska will benefit from the former world number one’s withdrawal as she moves up to number three in the US Open seedings, while Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova becomes number 32 seed.
Sharapova said: “I’ve done everything I could since Wimbledon to get myself ready but it just wasn’t enough time.
“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.
“It’s certainly not an easy decision to make ahead of one of my favourite tournaments, but I know it’s the right one that will get me back on the courts soon.”
Link Dafabet