Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion who is among the greatest players in tennis history, recently opened up on a leg injury that she had suffered while preparing for a half marathon early next year.

Serena Williams opens up on overcoming injury more than two years after tennis retirement: 'I just got to get serious’
Serena Williams is currently preparing for a half-marathon that will be taking part in early 2026. Reuters

Serena Williams continues to deal with injuries despite having retired from professional tennis more than three years ago. Her latest fitness issues, however, are not the result of exertions on the tennis court but preparation for an athletic event vastly different from what she’s used to.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, one of the greatest players in tennis history, is preparing for a half-marathon that will be taking place early next year. And the 44-year-old revealed that a leg injury had brought her training to a screeching halt.

“So, I don’t know what’s happened to me lately. I’ve been so lazy, and I was training earlier this year for a half-marathon, and it didn’t go so well. I mean, it was going good, then I got injured. I sustained an injury in my leg,” Williams revealed on social networking platform Instagram.

Serena Williams' coach on recovery from her latest injury - Los Angeles Times

Williams refuses to give up on half-marathon despite leg injury

Williams is no stranger to injuries and other challenges. She had after all, pulled off the superhuman feat of winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. More recently, she had left the court in tears after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2021 Wimbledon, only to regain full fitness and play at the highest level of the sport for another full year at the age of 40.

And she made it clear that the leg injury, which might not be as serious as the setbacks that she had suffered as a player, will not be preventing her from competing in the half-marathon – which will be taking place in the month of February.
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“That was four months ago, maybe five, and I haven’t really done cardio since. So, I’m back at it. The half-marathon I wanted to do is in February; I think I can still make it. I just got to get serious. The only thing I’m really good at, like, focus on is tennis,” Williams added.