Serena Williams on Thursday announced she "will not play any more tournaments this season," meaning she will miss next week's China Open in Beijing and the WTA Finals in Singapore, according to Matt Cronin of TENNIS.com. Williams said that she "has been hurt much of the year." Cronin noted Williams also is "clearly upset after losing in the semifinals of the U.S. Open," preventing her from completing the Grand Slam. But withdrawing from late-season events "is not uncommon for Williams," as she "retired from her opening-round match in Wuhan and withdrew before her quarterfinal in Beijing" last year. Williams "didn't play again until the season-ending championship" after winning the U.S. Open in '12, while she did not play the "rest of the year" after losing the '11 U.S. Open final (TENNIS.com, 10/1). In N.Y., Christopher Clarey notes Williams' absence for the rest of the year is a "major blow" to the WTA Tour, as Asia "has been the focal point of the WTA’s growth strategy in recent years." The China Open is "one of just four premier mandatory events on the circuit, and the WTA Finals are the tour’s most important event, in both financial and competitive terms." Singapore is "in the second year of a five-year deal to stage the tournament, a deal that is worth in excess" of $70M. Outgoing WTA Chair & CEO Stacey Allaster "might have persuaded Williams to delay her decision," but Allaster's "last day on official duty is Friday." Williams’ withdrawals are "not without consequence." By missing Beijing, she will "forfeit the $450,000 bonus that goes to a No. 1 player who participates in all four premier mandatory events." She also could "be fined and even suspended if she fails to compensate for her withdrawal by doing promotional work for the WTA Tour Finals." The "awkward possibility for the WTA is that she could play in Asia later this year -- not in an official event, but in the big-money" Int'l Premier Tennis League (N.Y. TIMES, 10/2). WTA Finals organizers were "already sweating" possibly losing out on Maria Sharapova after she also "pulled out of the China Open" (REUTERS, 10/1).
