Maria Sharapova Drops Out Of US Open
Tennis star Maria Sharapova has dropped out of the US Open.
The US Open runs from August 26 through September 9 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.
Sharapova, who would have been the tournament’s third seed, has a shoulder injury. The US Open is one of four so-called Grand Slam tournaments, which also includes the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon.
US Open Tournament officials released a statement about the Sharapova withdrawal: “Maria has informed us that she will be unable to compete at the US Open this year due to a right shoulder bursitis and has withdrawn from the tournament. We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to her return to New York next year.”
Sharapova reportedly received several shots in her shoulder, including at least one cortisone shot, after her second-round Wimbledon loss in July, Tennis.com reports. “Some members of Sharapova’s camp think it could take her another two to three months to fully heal, which puts her at risk for the upcoming Asian swing and the WTA Championships.”
The star underwent shoulder surgery in 2008 and didn’t return to singles play until the following year.
She was the US Open champion in 2006. Overall, she was won four Grand Slam singles titles and 29 singles titles overall and was previously the world’s number-one-ranked female tennis player. She is currently ranked number three in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association.
Sharapova made headlines last week when she fired tennis great Jimmy Connors as her coach after only one match that she lost. “Not the right fit for this time in my career,” Sharapova said. Sharapova had hired Connors after her disappointing Wimbeldon showing
Sharapova flirted with the idea of temporarily changing her name to Maria Sugarpova during the US Open to promote her new line of Sugarpova premium candy. She subsequently decided against seeking a temporary name change because of the legal logistics and possibly the backlash from her fans. Maria Sharapova’s shoulder injury and withdrawal from the tournament makes all that moot anyway.
