Serena Williams out of French Open with Achilles injury

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts after missing a shot against Kristie Ahn of the U.S. in the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

PARIS— Serena Williams pulled out of the French Open on Wednesday because of an Achilles injury.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion said she had a short warmup and decided she couldn’t continue. She had been scheduled to play Tsvetana Pironkova in the second round at Roland Garros.

“I think I need four-to-six weeks of sitting and doing nothing, at least two weeks of just sitting down,” Williams said.

Williams said her ankle didn’t have time to recover after the U.S. Open.

Williams added she “more than likely” won’t play another tournament this year, saying she was “struggling to walk, which is a tell-tale sign that I should try to recover.”