NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 11: Serena Williams of the United States returns a shot to Roberta Vinci of Italy during their Women's Singles Semifinals match on Day Twelve of the 2015 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Serena Williams has officially withdrawn from her second consecutive tournament, announcing Tuesday that she will not be playing in next week’s Qatar Open because of the flu.
Williams, who is ranked No. 1, already pulled out of this week’s Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday, also citing an illness.
Williams, 34, stated, according to a news release from the Qatar Open, “I have come down with the flu and do not feel 100 percent. I need to take this time to recover but I do look forward to returning to Doha and seeing my fans soon.”
Williams last played in the Australian Open final on Jan. 30, which she lost to German Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
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Caption: NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 11: Serena Williams of the United States returns a shot to Roberta Vinci of Italy during their Women’s Singles Semifinals match on Day Twelve of the 2015 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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