Audio By Carbonatix
Serena Williams says she is still planning to play this month's US Open and the French Open in September.
World number one Ashleigh Barty and fellow top 10 players Elina Svitolina and Kiki Bertens have all withdrawn from the US Open, which is set to begin on 31 August in New York.
The rescheduled French Open starts on 27 September at Roland-Garros in Paris.
"I see myself doing it all if it happens," said 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams.
Williams is set to play in the WTA Top Seed Open in Lexington, Kentucky next week as preparation for the US Open, which she has won six times.
Barty and Svitolina pulled out of the US Open because of concerns over travelling to the United States during the coronavirus pandemic, while Bertens, from the Netherlands, withdrew because of Dutch government regulations that require people returning from the US to quarantine for two weeks.
World number two Simona Halep is also not expected to play in the tournament, which will be held behind closed doors, while defending champion Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios have withdrawn from the men's event.
Williams, 38, said she had become "a little bit of a recluse" during the pandemic.
"I don't have full lung capacity so I'm not sure what would happen to me - I'm sure I would be OK but I don't want to find out," she added.
"I have like 50 masks that I travel with, I'm super, super careful with what I've been doing, and everyone in the Serena bubble is really protected.
"Because at the end of the day it's cool to play tennis, but this is my life and this is my health, so I've been a little neurotic to an extent but that's just what I have to be right now."
Latest Stories
-
Albert Amoah makes shock return to Asante Kotoko on loan
20 minutes -
NPA CEO applauds Tema Oil Refinery for swift return to full operations
20 minutes -
Chronic potholes turn Asafo Market Junction–Tech Road into death trap
23 minutes -
UK study finds toxic weedkiller residues in children’s playgrounds
35 minutes -
Dr Abaka-Cann makes history as first Ghanaian inducted Fellow of American Academy of Optometry
45 minutes -
Kennedy Agyapong cautions against intimidation ahead of NPP flagbearer election
50 minutes -
Vice President to visit Transport Ministry over worsening commuter woes in Accra
54 minutes -
LGBTQ agenda being quietly inserted into constitutional review – Ntim Fordjour claims
56 minutes -
Police recover vehicle used in Adabraka Gold Jewellery Shop robbery
1 hour -
Today’s Front pages: Friday, January 16, 2026
1 hour -
Jerome Abaka-Cann establishes Imperial Eye award to advance African-Led optometric research
1 hour -
Police arrest Tiktoker captured in viral video assaulting a woman
2 hours -
Ghana earns global praise for child rights reforms at Geneva forum
2 hours -
Traditional Kitchen – the overlooked small ‘Toxic Waste Factory’ killing thousands every year
2 hours -
FACT CHECK: Did Ghana Publishing Company really increase its asset base by 3,000% in 2023?
2 hours
