Serena Williams has pulled out of the French Open because of an injury, dashing her Grand Slam comeback.
Williams suffered a chest injury and removed herself from the tournament on Monday right before she was supposed to compete against Maria Sharapova in a fourth-round match, according to the Associated Press.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion said there was a problem with her right pectoral muscle.
“Right now I can’t actually serve,” Serena said at a news conference at Roland Garros. “It’s kind of hard to play when I can’t physically serve.”
Williams, who made her Grand Slam slam return to the sport after giving birth to her daughter in September, posted a message for her 8.4 million followers.
“You always live to fight for another chance. I’ve done a lot of fighting and this is just the beginning. Thank you a for the support. I love you,” she wrote.
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Two-time French Open champion, Maria Sharapova, will move on to the quarterfinals.
Williams and Sharapova have competed head-to-head 21 times, with Williams winning 19 of those matches.
