Japan’s Naomi Osaka crashed out in a 7-5 6-4 first-round loss to American Amanda Anisimova.
The four-time major champion said in a statement that she picked up the injury last week in Madrid.
Emma Raducanu defeated 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandes 6-4, 6-3, in straight sets, to win the U.S. Open.
“The only thing I feel is that I feel for Naomi.”
Nationwide, Japan has seen about 656,000 confirmed cases, with 11,161 deaths.
This was Serena’s 1,000th career match, while Osaka is yet to master the Clay Court.
“I did a lot of unforced errors in the first few games. I was really nervous and scared in the beginning.”
Stuck on number 23 for four years, Williams has brushed off failures and near misses at matching Margaret Court’s mark with the self-assurance of someone convinced her time will come.
