Serena Williams withdraws from WTA Finals and China Open

FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 file photo, Serena Williams can't catch up with a drop shot from Roberta Vinci, of Italy, during a semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, in New York. Williams announced on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015 that she is withdrawing from the season-ending WTA Finals and the China Open to take time to heal after playing through injuries all year. Williams, who was two wins from completing a calendar-year Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, says she is "taking a proactive step and withdrawing from tournaments in Beijing and Singapore to properly address my health and take the time to heal."(AP Photo/David Goldman, File) FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 file photo, Serena Williams can't catch up with a drop shot from Roberta Vinci, of Italy, during a semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, in New York. Williams announced on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015 that she is withdrawing from the season-ending WTA Finals and the China Open to take time to heal after playing through injuries all year. Williams, who was two wins from completing a calendar-year Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, says she is "taking a proactive step and withdrawing from tournaments in Beijing and Singapore to properly address my health and take the time to heal."(AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

By Associated Press October 1, 2015 3 min read

BEIJING (AP) – The 2015 season is over for Serena Williams.

The No. 1-ranked Williams withdrew from her final two scheduled tournaments of the year on Thursday, saying she needs time to heal from a series of injuries and the heartbreak of coming up short in a bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam.

Williams hasn’t played since losing to Roberta Vinci in the semifinals of the U.S. Open, where she came two matches short of becoming the first player to win all four majors in the same year since Steffi Graf in 1988.

“It’s no secret I’ve played injured most of the year – whether it was my elbow, my knee, or, in the final moments after a certain match in Flushing, my heart,” Williams said in a statement.

Williams pulled out of next week’s China Open in Beijing and the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore from Oct. 25-Nov. 1.