Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams skip US Open for the first time since..

Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have won 15 US Open titles and secured a place among the season's last Major legends. For the first time since 1997, none of these three tennis giants will compete in New York, as they all had to withdraw due to injuries! Roger Federer announced the news first, feeling the pain in his knee again following the quarter-final Wimbledon loss to Hubert Hurkacz and preparing for the third knee surgery after the previous two in February and May last year. Federer claimed five consecutive US Open crowns between 2004 and 2008, never lifting the trophy again despite playing in a couple of more finals.

Federer's results in New York were not that good after the last title match against Novak Djokovic, and the Swiss will miss the US Open action for the second straight year. The four-time champion Rafael Nadal conquered New York twice in the previous four years but will not fight for another crown in the next two weeks due to ongoing foot issues. Nadal's decided to skip the last year's US Open due to the pandemic and will not compete for the second straight year, just like Roger. In June, Nadal injured his already troubled left foot in the Roland Garros semi-final against Novak Djokovic, playing only two matches after that and realizing that he can not compete on the highest level without taking a proper break.

Serena Williams has joined the other two legend on the US Open withdrawal list.

The Spaniard will not play in the rest of the season, and he hopes to get back at 100% ahead of 2022. On Wednesday, Serena Williams announced her US Open withdrawal, still struggling with a torn hamstring and deciding to skip the home Major for the fourth time in a career and the first since 2017.

"After careful consideration and following the advice of my doctors and medical team, I have decided to withdraw from the US Open to allow my body to heal completely from a torn hamstring. New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world and one of my favorite players to play - I'll miss seeing the fans but will be cheering everyone on from afar. Thank you for your continued support and love," Serena Williams said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3B96C5d