'I Have Been Struggling To Walk,' Serena Williams Withdraws From French Open

Former World No. 1 Serena Williams pulled out of French Open on Wednesday because of an Achilles injury.

Serena Williams made the announcement ahead of her second-round match against Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova.

The American tennis ace won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title in 2017 when she clinched the Australian Open. With her latest injury, her wait to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 major titles continues.

In a press conference in Paris, Williams admitted she has been struggling to even walk and that’s when she decided she had to pull out of the ongoing French Open.

"I think I need four to six weeks of sitting and doing nothing. I have been struggling to walk so that's a telltale sign that I should try to recover. Achilles is an injury you don't want to play with - I think it was one of the worst, don't want to get to that point, I want it to get better,” Williams said during a press conference.

The Achilles problem first happened to Williams during her US Open semi-final defeat to Victoria Azarenka last month. She won a three-setter against compatriot Kristie Ahn in the first round at Roland Garros, but she said she could feel she was not fit physically.

"In the second set, I felt I needed to walk with a limp. I had to focus on walking straight so I wasn't limping. I tried and always give 100%, I take solace in that. I'm not sure I will play another tournament this year. It is not an acute injury, it is a nagging injury. I ran into bad timing and bad luck really,” added Williams in the same press conference.

The 39-year-old Williams has won the French Open three times (2002, 2013, and 2015) and is currently ranked ninth in the world among WTA players.