Serena Williams Injury: Updates on Tennis Star's Elbow and Return

Serena Williams, the top-ranked player on the WTA Tour, was forced to withdraw from the Italian Open due to an elbow injury. The ailment is not currently expected to impact her availability for the season's second major, the French Open, later this month.

Continue for updates.

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Out of Italian Open

Thursday, May 14

BBC Sport noted Williams' decision to pull out of the warm-up tournament came ahead of a scheduled clash with Christina McHale:

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The 33-year-old withdrew shortly before she was due to face fellow American Christina McHale in round three.

But the 19-time Grand Slam champion does not think the injury - which is affecting her serve - will be an issue at the French Open, which begins on Sunday, 24 May.

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"Definitely smart for Serena to withdraw. She wasn't serving near full power in first match vs Pavlyuchenkova. Slams are what counts for her," stated Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times.

Williams won the Australian Open to kick off the Grand Slam season in January, which marked her second consecutive major triumph after capturing the U.S. Open last summer.

The French Open has been her least successful major, with just two career titles. She'll still arrive at Roland Garros as one of the top contenders and potentially the favorite depending on her recovery from the elbow injury.