Serena Williams pulls out of season-ending WTA Finals with shoulder injury

Williams has played only eight tournaments this year and lost her spot at the top of the world rankings to German Angelique Kerber.

Serena Williams has withdrawn from the season-ending, elite WTA Finals in Singapore, saying she’s still working to recover from the shoulder troubles that have hindered her this season.

Williams said her doctor had insisted her shoulder required much more work before she could compete. (AFP)

The WTA announced Williams’ withdrawal from the event that starts on October 23 on their Twitter feed, posting a video of Williams herself explaining the decision.

“Hey everyone in Singapore,” Williams said. “I’m really, really bummed that I won’t be able to come compete this year.

“It’s been a really tough year for me just dealing so much with these shoulder injuries. My doctor insists that I stay home and heal it every single day.”

That defeat saw Williams’ 186-week reign atop the world rankings end as Germany’s Angelique Kerber reached the summit and went on to captured the Flushing Meadows title.

Williams claimed just one Grand Slam title in 2016, at Wimbledon, and was runner-up at the Australian Open. After that, shoulder troubles hampered her in Rio where her hopes of a fifth Olympic gold medal were crushed in the third round.

Though she begins her next year in Auckland, fans hoping to see her in Singapore will, no doubt, be disappointed by her withdrawal.

She recently voted for Angelique Kerber as the Player of the Year and was also spotted going to a concert with Taylor Swift in New York.