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*Serena Williams will not return to the Australian Open after all.
In a message posted Thursday to Snapchat, the tennis star, 36, said she’s not quite ready to compete on a tournament level following the recent birth of her daughter. As previously reported, she lost an exhibition match last week against Latvian player Jelena Ostapenko at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.
“After performing in my first match after giving birth I realized that although I am super close I’m not where I personally want to be.”
She added: “My coach and team always said ‘Only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way. With that being said I am disappointed to say I’ve decided not to compete in The Australian Open this year.”
Williams was pregnant with her 4-month-old daughter Alexis Olympia when she competed in the 2017 Australian Open.
“The memory of last year’s Open is one that I will carry with me and Olympia and I look forward to coming back again. I appreciate the support and understanding of my fans and everyone at the Australian Open,” Serena concluded her statement.
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