Serena Williams falls to No 41, will be unseeded at 2022 Australian Open

Serena Williams‘ hopes of equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles just got a little bit more difficult.

Off the Tour because of the leg injury that she suffered at Wimbledon, Williams has fallen to No 41 in the latest WTA rankings, having lost the semi-final points from last year’s US Open after pulling out of this year’s event.

With the exception of the first half of 2018 when the American was on maternity leave, Williams, who turns 40 later this month, has not been so low in the rankings since August 8, 2011, when, after almost a year out through injury, she was ranked 80.

The fall means that unless she can get back on court this year, she will be unseeded at the Australian Open in January.

The one bit of hope for Williams fans, though, is the memory of 2007, when she arrived in Melbourne ranked 81 and promptly won the title.

Read also

A mental block for Serena at Grand Slams? “We are looking for the solution” (Patrick Mouratoglou)

Tennis Majors