Maria Sharapova withdraws from U.S. Open with shoulder injury
Maria Sharapova of Russia looks down during a match against Sabine Lisicki of Germany on day seven of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. (July 2, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
The U.S. Open lost a former champion and considerable glamor last night when Maria Sharapova withdrew, telling Open officials she has right shoulder bursitis.
Sharapova, who was the No. 3 seed, had struggled with injury this summer after a decent start to the year. She had played only one match--a loss to Sloan Stephens in Cincinnati -- since a shocking second-round defeat at Wimbledon. She pulled out of two tournaments this summer with a left hip problem.
"Maria Sharapova is one of the great warriors of the tennis world," USTA executive director and COO Gordon Smith said. "If she withdrew, there's a serious issue."
Sharapova won at Indian Wells and Stuttgart this season and lost in three finals to Serena Williams, including the French Open.
Her right shoulder began giving her problems in 2007, the season after she won the U.S. Open. The injury forced her to miss the 2008 Open and she underwent surgery for it that October, returning to the circuit in May of 2009. She won the French Open in 2012, completing the career Grand Slam.
With Sharapova's withdrawal Agnieszka Radwanska becomes the No. 3 seed and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova takes the final seed at No. 32 for the tournament that begins on Monday.
More tennis
