While Novak Djokovic has still not confirmed whether he will be playing the Australian Open, he is on the entry list for the season’s first major.
Former champion Serena Williams, however, will give it a miss.
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The 23-times major champion had an injury-disrupted season and has not competed since an ankle injury forced her to retire six games into her first-round Wimbledon clash with Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
“Following the advice of my medical team, I have decided to withdraw from this year’s Australian Open,” Williams said in a statement.
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“While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete.
“Melbourne is one of my favorite cities to visit and I look forward to playing at the AO every year. I will miss seeing the fans, but am excited to return and compete at my highest level,” she added.
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Williams was a semifinalist in 2021, defeating Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep before falling to eventual champion Naomi Osaka.
Osaka, who has not competed since the US Open, is expected to return to action and will target a fifth career major singles title.
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Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are set to lead the men’s fields. The two, along with Roger Federer, have a record 20 singles Grand Slam titles.
The Serb will be targeting his 10th title at the Melbourne major.
