Fans of tennis superstar Serena Williams were gearing up for her big comeback to the sport later this month, but they’re going to have to wait a bit longer.
Per ESPN, Williams has withdrawn from the upcoming Australian Open, the tournament which she won last year while two months pregnant. Her decision comes after a recent loss at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi, where she lost to Jelena Ostapenko.
“After competing in Abu Dhabi I realized that although I am super close, I’m not where I personally want to be,” Williams said in a statement. “My coach and team always said, ‘Only go to tournaments when you are prepared to go all the way.’ I can compete, but I don’t want to just compete, I want to do far better than that and to do so, I will need a little more time.”
The 2018 Australian Open comes just four months after the 36-year-old gave birth to a daughter, Alexis Olympia, with her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
We’re looking forward to her official return the court.