Serena Williams has announced her decision to withdraw from the Rogers Cup in Montreal, citing personal reasons for dropping out.
The news comes after the 23-times Grand Slam singles champion lost 6-0 6-1 to Johanna Konta at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic last week, the heaviest defeat of her career.
Tournament organisers announced the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s withdrawal from the event on Saturday.
“Of course, we are disappointed that Serena will not be joining us. Fans were very much looking forward to seeing her in action,” tournament director Eugene Lapierre said.
“But beyond the disappointment, the tournament, as a whole, remains a high-level competition. The entire top 10 is here, along with 22 of the top 25. There are exciting matches in store from the outset.”
The tournament opens on Monday with world No 1 Simona Halep as the top seed and Caroline Wozniacki, who pulled out of the Citi Open earlier this week with a leg injury, number two.