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Serena Williams shuts down for the season following U.S. Open loss

Serena Williams reacts after losing a point to Roberta Vinci, of Italy, during a semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Serena Williams reacts after losing a point to Roberta Vinci, of Italy, during a semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

The heartbreak of the U.S. Open, in which Serena Williams missed out on an opportunity at a landmark Grand Slam, has finally caught up with her. Williams has announced that she will be withdrawing from the remainder of her events for this year: the China Open and the WTA Finals. The move will cost Williams hundreds of thousands in missed bonuses and purses, but according to her, it was a necessity.

"My journey in tennis this year has been at times exhilarating, at times disappointing," Williams said in a statement. "I've played injured most of the year—whether it was my elbow, my knee, or in the finals moments after a certain match in Flushing, my heart. I'm a fierce competitor and I want to compete as well as I can, for as long as I can. This is a very difficult decision, but one ultimately made because of the love of the game."

Williams lost in the U.S. Open semifinals to unheralded Roberta Vinci, and has not made a public statement since then. By withdrawing, she is giving up a $450,000 playing bonus plus a share of the $7 million purse for the WTA Finals, where she has won five times.

"Any loss is very painful for her, but this one even more than usual, so it just takes time to recover from it," her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, told ESPN. "When the motivation comes back, which I don't doubt it will, then it will be time to start tournaments again."

"Serena’s health has to be her number one priority," WTA president Micky Lawler said in a statement. "The risk of injury is a reality in the world of elite athletic performance. We will miss seeing Serena on court in Singapore and wish her a speedy recovery."

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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