Serena Williams Needs Fed Cup Play to Qualify for 2012 Olympics

Lauren LynchFeb 9, 2011

Serena Williams has 13 Grand Slam titles to her credit and more money than any female tennis player before her.

The only thing missing from her incredible legacy on the court is a gold medal in Olympic women's singles. She reached the quarterfinals in 2008 and won the gold medal in doubles in 2000 and 2008.

But if Williams is to have a shot at completing the Golden Slam in 2012, she'll first have to prove her commitment to her country by playing in the Fed Cup, and soon.

In order to qualify for play in the Olympics, a player must make herself available for the Fed Cup twice in a four-year cycle. The 2012 Olympics, which will be held in London with the tennis played at Wimbledon, has a four-year cycle of 2009-2012.

Williams has not played in the Fed Cup since 2007, her only appearance in the last eight years. She hasn't played a Fed Cup outside of the United States since 1999, when she was 17 years old.

Williams released a statement in January saying she would have been available to play in the Fed Cup semifinals if the US defeated Belgium last weekend.

Belgium won easily, 4-1, and Williams has yet to comment if she'll be available when the US attempts to defend its World Group status in April. The draw for that playoff will be determined later this week.

Williams has not played an official match since winning the title at Wimbledon last July.

She played an exhibition against Kim Clijsters in Belgium and then cut her foot on a shard of glass outside a restaurant in Munich.

An official injury was never given by Williams' camp, but she has had two known surgeries since then and appeared on both crutches and with her foot in a boot on multiple occasions since then.

She is scheduled to come back in the "Nike Clash of Champions" exhibition in Oregon March 4-6.