Black Tennis Pros

In a second consecutive effort, American wild card Sloane Stephens has qualified for the main draw, defeating Australian’s Sophie Ferguson. Stephens prevailed in the first set tie-break, 7-6(4), and ran away with the second set 6-1.

Last week Sloane came through qualifying to enter the main draw of the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, California, where she exited in the second round.

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American prospect Sloane Stephens was a three-time junior Grand Slam doubles champion in 2010, but having celebrated her 18th birthday on March 20, her attention is very much on the big leagues now. A native of Plantation, Florida, Stephens played her first three WTA main draws in last year, reaching the second round at Indian Wells and Bastad, and falling to seeds both times. Currently ranked No.192, the 170cm player takes to the court in Miami on Tuesday, gunning for a main draw berth at what should feel like her home tournament, the Sony Ericsson Open.

We caught up with Sloane during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, where as a wildcard she reached the second round before bumping into eventual champion Caroline Wozniacki.

How did you get into tennis?
SS: When I was young we lived across the road from a country club. My late stepfather played there every day, and when I was about nine I started playing there after school.

Tell us about your family.
SS: My mother and my brother are in Los Angeles - I live with them when I'm not on the road. My brother Shawn is 12 years old, and he plays baseball. My mom, Sybil, is a teacher.

What's your coaching situation at the moment?
SS: I work with Nick Saviano and Roger Smith, who was my former USTA coach in Carson, California and still travels with me. They are the main coaches I've worked with for the past three or four years.

How do you describe your playing style?
SS: I'm an aggressive baseliner, looking to come in.

Are you working on any particular aspect of your game at the moment?
SS: Yes, everything. Serving, returning, coming in more, approaching…

If you could steal a shot from another player, what would it be?
SS: I would steal Roger Federer's 'tweener.

Favorite surface or tournament?
SS: My favorite surface is red clay. My favorite tournament is the French Open. And my favorite city is… Paris! I love the architecture, the history.

What are your goals in tennis?
SS: Just to be the best player I can be. Not based on rankings, but based on doing my best to fulfill my potential.

Did you have a tennis idol when you were growing up?
SS: Of course… Venus and Serena, and also Kim Clijsters - she is a great person and I love the way she carries herself. They have been my main tennis inspirations through my career up until now.

Who has been your toughest opponent to date?
SS: I'd have to say Vera Zvonareva at Indian Wells in 2010.

Best tennis memory to date?
SS: Beating Venus in World TeamTennis a couple of years ago.

How far did you go in your education?
SS: I'm still going… I'm a senior in high school! And after that I'm going to start at Kaplan University, an online college.

What do you like about like on tour? What's tough?
SS: Traveling such a lot is tough, but I love seeing new places and cultures, meeting new people and being involved in everything.

What do you do to relax?
SS: I go on my computer, I Skype with family, read on my Kindle.

Favorite book, film, music?
SS: Books... the Twilight series; film, I'd have to say Inside Man; music - anything with a good beat!

What non-tennis skill do you wish you had?
SS: I really wish I could sing, and speak Spanish. I need to work on both of those areas, because at the moment my skills are very limited.

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
SS: Giggling.

What quality do you most appreciate in others?
SS: I appreciate people who are considerate of others at all times. Just understanding situations and being open to adjusting and adapting.

Apart from family and friends, what's your most treasured possession?
SS: I have to say a necklace that my grandparents gave me. I wear it the whole time. Every match, all day long. I don't even take it off to shower.

If you could meet anyone in the world, who would you like it to be?
SS: That's a hard one. I'd have to go with Elton John.

What might you have done if you didn't become a tennis player?
SS: I'd probably go to university. But I don't know what I'd study… right now I can't see myself doing anything other than playing tennis.

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MIAMI, FL, USA - Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Sony Ericsson Open, where she is a three-time champion, due to an abdominal injury.

Williams, who has a phenomenal 47-9 record at the Premier-level stop, which includes title runs in 1998, 1999 and 2001 and one more final (last year, falling to Kim Clijsters), is currently receiving ongoing rehabilitation at home.

"I am very sorry to not be playing in the Sony Ericsson Open this year. It is one of my favorite tournaments, especially because it is so close to my home in South Florida," Williams said. "I look forward to returning to the tour soon."

"It is unfortunate that Venus Williams will be unable to play at this year's," Tournament Director Adam Barrett added. "She will be missed and we wish her a speedy recovery. We hope to see her back on court soon."

Williams has only played two events since Wimbledon last year, making the semifinals of the US Open (losing to eventual champion Clijsters in a tight three-setter) and reaching the third round of this year's Australian Open (where she retired against Andrea Petkovic after one game in the third round).

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At the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California last week, Donald Young marked the biggest win of his professional career, achieving his first top ten defeat over Britain's Andy Murray. This week at the Sony Ericsson Open, Miami, Florida, Donald has once again successfully come through the qualifying rounds after defeating Frenchman Arnaud Clement 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 and Canadian Frank Dancevic 6-1, 1-6, 7-5.

Donald will face Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in round one of the main draw.

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Monday's third round play at the BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, saw the cessation of what many hoped would be a deep run for American Donald Young. Alternatively, it was extremely rewarding to see the Young one play with so much more commitment and confidence, earning his first top ten win in his victory over Britain's Andy Murray.

Spaniard Tommy Robredo, seeded at 25, proved a bit too much for the qualifier today. Donald didn't seem to have has much gas in the tank as he had in the previous two matches, and expressed much disappointment in his performance as he played.

A short while ago he tweeted:


Nonetheless, it was a good run. Looking forward to the seeing what he will bring in the remainder of 2011.

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Davis Cup teammates Andy Roddick John Isner will face off in the third round after they posted back-to-back wins on Stadium One, Sunday afternoon at the BNP Paribas Open.

World No. 8 Roddick, who dropped serve once during the one-hour, 30-minute match, broke James Blake to go up 6-5 in the second set and proceeded to clinch the 6-3, 7-5 victory with his 13th ace.

“I thought it was okay,” he said. “It was tough to get a gauge on how I was playing because James was playing so aggressively. From the first game I realized his strategy was any time; he didn't want to let me get a rhythm. I felt like he was coming out of his shoes. It was tough, but the numbers looked good afterwards. I felt like I was hitting the ball okay, so it worked out.”

It was Roddick’s eighth win in 11 matches against Blake, a former World No. 4 who has dropped to a No. 158 ranking after an injury-plagued 2010 season.

“I definitely think we've gotten closer over the course of our careers,” he said of their relationship. “Spending so many weeks early on when we were the only two young U.S. guys who were at tournaments, so we naturally, I guess kind of gravitated towards each other. And then being on the team together for so long, he's one of my favorite people. He's someone who I always cheer for.”

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A very determined 17-year-old-wild-card Sloane Stephens waged a good battle during second round play at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday, but was defeated 6-3, 6-2 by WTA World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

Stephens was able to break Wozniacki's serve twice, but was not able to prevent her own serve from being broken five times, thus enabling Wozniacki to quickly move out front and take the match.

Post match Wozniacki said, “I felt like the timing was not quite there yet, but I think Sloane, she took her chances - she played well. She's a newcomer, and I definitely see a lot of potential in her. But I would like, of course, just to go match by match try to develop my game.”

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INDIAN WELLS, California — Fifth seeded Andy Murray and sixth seed David Ferrer were joined on the sidelines by defending champion Ivan Ljubicic as all three lost their opening matches Saturday at Indian Wells.

American qualifier Donald Young upset world number five Murray 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 in the second round of the WTA and ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

Scotsman Murray looked rusty in his opening match at Indian Wells and in his first career meeting against the 21-year-old Young. Murray has now lost the last six sets he has played.

"I started the match well but then when it got close I didn't do anything to lift myself," said Murray. "The crowd was for him and then he started to play better and I didn't play my way back into the match."

It marked the first victory over a top-10 opponent for Young, who has a 3-3 record this year.

Courtside Donald Young said, ""It's by far the biggest win of my career."

Young advanced to the third round, where he will face Tommy Robredo of Spain who beat Mischa Zverev 6-3, 3-6. 7-5.

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American James Blake came back to defeat Australian Chris Guccione 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 Friday night at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, following a special Salute to Heroes ceremony featuring The National 9/11 Flag flown at Ground Zero.

Blake dropped the opening set, but quickly regrouped to take a 2-0 lead in the second. He broke Guccione two more times in the third set to clinch the victory in one hour and 35 minutes.

The win ensured a blockbuster second-round clash between Blake and top American Andy Roddick, both past finalists at the year’s first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. It will be the 11th meeting between the pair (Roddick leads 7-3).

The 31-year-old Blake entered this year’s BNP Paribas Open with his lowest ranking since his 2000 desert debut, having dropped to No. 158 after an injury-plagued season in 2010. Meanwhile, World No. 8 Roddick has won seven straight matches, clinching his 30th ATP World Tour title in Memphis and leading the U.S. into the Davis Cup quarter-finals.

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American Donald Young earned his first win at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in three years as he came back to defeat Italian Potito Starace 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in just under two hours on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open.

The 21 year old fought off nine of 12 break points faced on serve, while delivering on four of his six opportunities against the 47th-ranked Starace.

Young, currently at No. 143 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, reached the third round at this tournament in 2008 with wins over Bobby Reynolds and Feliciano Lopez before falling to Rafael Nadal. He next faces World No. 5 Andy Murray.

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Wild card Sloane Stephens defeated qualifier Jamie Hampton 6-2, 6-4 in an-American match Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open to set up a second-round clash with WTA No. 1 and returning finalist Caroline Wozniacki.

The 17-year-old Stephens achieved her career-best win on her tour-level debut here last year, when she came through the qualifying rounds and defeated a 67th-ranked Lucie Hradecka before falling to No. 12 Vera Zvonareva. This will her first win against a player ranked in the Top 10 of the WTA Rankings.

Hampton, the lone American among the 12 qualifiers, was looking for her first win in her sixth tour-level main draw appearance.

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In her first interview since suffering a pulmonary embolism, Serena Williams spoke with Matt Lauer on Today

"Every day is better and better. I'm not doing much. I really haven't left the house recently."

She recalled that on Feb. 18, she "had a lot of swelling in my leg, which really is a tell-tale sign of an embolism, and I could not breathe." She just thought she "wasn't fit," but went to the emergency room.

Doctors at first,couldn't find anything, she said. But then one ordered a CAT scan of her lungs. "That's when they found several blood clots. They told me they had to check me in immediately or it wasn't going to be a good result."

A week later, she walked the red carpets at Oscar parties. "I had been through so much. I really was kind of low on energy," she said, but wanted to "do something to get my spirits up. I wasn't doing so well mentally. ... I was feeling terrible." So she went out. And wound up in the hospital the next day, Feb. 28, because of a large hematoma in her stomach. A hematoma is a gathering of blood underneath the skin, Lauer explained.

"I'm on blood thinner injections. I inject myself twice a day," she said. "I apparently must have hit something, ... so what started out as a golf ball ended up being the size of a grapefruit." At the hospital she was told it couldn't be drained; it had to be surgically removed.

Did this all stem from her initial foot problem after stepping on glass last year? She said, "Yes, and not moving and doing as much as I normally do and flying back and forth a lot."

What are doctors telling her now? "I'm just taking it one day at a time. My lungs are fairly healthy and I'm on the road to recovering." She said she's still hoping to return to tennis this summer. "I want to come back and be able to do well."

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American Donald Young defeated the Czech Republic's Rudolph Siwy 6-2, 7-5(5) in the final round of qualifying today to earn entry into the main draw of the BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells, California.

Good luck the rest of the way Donald!

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The talents of American superstar Venus Williams know no bounds! Venus was recently captured participating in a Karaoke contest on a Carnival Cruise in the Caribbean hosted by the band "311."

Recently on Twitter Venus tweeted, "Been singin Karaoke around the world for years,Thailand, Japan, Korea,USA...hope this can prepare me for the biggest challenge ever...@311."

It appears that two of her sisters joined the singing tennis star for a seriously rocking performance... steps and all!

Go Venus!

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MIAMI, Fla. (www.sonyericssonopen.com) – The 2011 Sony Ericsson Open announced its wildcard entries and this year it features former World No. 4 James Blake and former World No. 1 Dinara Safina. A total of five wildcard slots were granted to the men’s draw and also include Jack Sock, Ryan Harrison, Milos Raonic, and Bernard Tomic. While six were given on the women’s side which feature Heather Watson, Sorana Cirstea, Sabine Lisicki, Madison Keys, and Coco Vandeweghe.

Women’s main draw begins on Tuesday, March 22, while the men’s main draw kicks off the following day on Wednesday, March 23. The qualifying rounds will be held Monday and Tuesday, March 21 and 22.

Tickets to the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open are on sale now and can be purchased by phone (305-442-3367) or via internet at www.sonyericssonopen.com. An electrifying two weeks of tennis conclude with the women’s final on Saturday, April 2 and the men’s final on Sunday, April 3.

Blake will make his return to Miami, hoping to improve on his career-best quarterfinal showings in 2006 and 2008. Safina made her last appearance on the purple courts in 2009 as the No. 2 seeded player advancing to the third round. She recorded her career-best finish in 2008 when she advanced to the quarterfinals.

Blake, always a fan favorite, earned his first ATP win in 2002 becoming the fourth African American to win an ATP title in the Open Era. In 2005, Blake grabbed the national spotlight at the U.S. Open when he played a thrilling five-set match in the quarter finals against his idol, Andre Agassi. From there, Blake’s career blossomed tremendously as he reached his career-high of No. 4 in the world in 2006 becoming the first African American to crack the top-10 since his role model, Arthur Ashe.

Safina made her professional debut in 2002. The Russian star recorded a breakout season in 2008 winning a career-best four singles titles. In 2008, she was awarded the WTA Most Improved Player, and was the first player in history to defeat three reigning World No. 1s in the same season (Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, and Jelena Jankovic). Safina reached a career-high rank of No. 1 in the world in 2009, and joined her brother Marat Safin as the first brother-sister combo to both achieve World No. 1 rankings.

In addition to Blake and Safina the tournament wildcards include many of the Tour’s next generation of tennis stars.

Men’s Main Draw Wildcards
James Blake
Jack Sock
Ryan Harrison
Milos Raonic
Bernard Tomic

Men’s Qualifying Wildcards
Gastao Elias
Filip Krajinovic

Women’s Main Draw Wildcards
Dinara Safina
Heather Watson
Madison Keys
Sabine Lisicki
Coco Vandeweghe
Sorana Cirstea

Women’s Qualifying Draw Wildcards
Michelle Larcher de Brito
Lauren Davis
Carina Witthoeft
Aleksandra Wozniak
Beatrice Capra
Sloane Stevens

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Announcement posted on the new MWKF blog:


One of our supporters, Mrs. Mandy Gildersleeve has organized a Triathlon competition for our students! Our students will train for 2 months on the campus of the University of North Florida. Our students along with students from The Bridge of Northeast Florida will be swimming, biking and running. They will also receive an entry into the Jr. Gate River Run held March 12th.

All students who complete the Triathlon will receive a FREE bike, sneakers and swim gear!

Let’s root for our students as they compete in their first ever Triathlon competition!

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WIMBLEDON, England -- Wimbledon is going 3-D.

The men's semifinals and men's and women's finals at this summer's tournament will be filmed in the new format and aired live by 3-D capable cinemas around the world.

The deal was announced Monday as part of the Wimbledon's multiyear partnership with Sony.

All England Club chief executive Ian Ritchie says "Wimbledon is renowned for its heritage and sense of tradition. At the same time we are always looking for ways to improve the presentation of the championships by successfully blending that tradition with innovation."

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Television coverage of the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, the most attended tennis tournament outside of the four major events, will be aired on ABC, ESPN2 and Tennis Channel, it was announced today by tournament director Steve Simon.

The tournament, to be held March 7-20 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, will be televised on ESPN2 on Friday, March 18, and on ABC on Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20. Both networks, which signed a multi-year agreement with the tournament, will carry coverage for four hours each day. In addition, ESPN3.com will offer live streaming of the action from Saturday, March 12 through the finals on Sunday, March 20.

“We’re very pleased to bring this top-tier event back to ESPN and to have worked with ATP Media to expand the footprint of their events from coast-to-coast,” said Jason Bernstein, ESPN senior director, programming and acquisitions. “ESPN3.com continues to grow as a destination for tennis fans seeking the best players and events, and this agreement reaffirms ESPN3.com as the unquestioned home for live professional tennis.”

“We are extremely excited that we will be able to showcase our final weekend of tennis at the BNP Paribas Open on ABC and ESPN2,” said Simon. “Moving to ABC and ESPN2, continuing our relationship with Tennis Channel and having ESPN3.com stream all produced world feed matches, will allow us to provide consistent match coverage and ensure that viewers around the country can follow all the action.”

Tennis Channel, which signed a five-year agreement with the tournament, will cover the BNP Paribas Open from Saturday, March 12 through Thursday, March 17, for a total of eight days and 75 hours of live action, with more than 125 hours of encore coverage.

“Tennis Channel viewers expect to find the best players in the sport on our network every single week,” said David Scott, vice president, programming, Tennis Channel. “This multi-year agreement with the BNP Paribas Open is an important part of that programming strategy, and ensures that our audience will see the elite men’s and women’s tennis stars at one of the sport’s premier events each spring. We’re excited about the opportunity to put so much of this tournament on television.

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ROUND 1

WOMEN

Singles

(WC)Sloane Stephens, USA defeated (Q)Jamie Hampton, USA
6-2, 6-4

Doubles

Racquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
defeated
Julia Goerges, GER and Lisa Raymond, USA
7-6(7), 6-3


MEN

Singles

(13)Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA vs. BYE

(WC)James Blake, USA vs. (Q)Chris Guccione, AUS

(Q)Donald Young, USA defeated Potito Starace, ITA
2-6, 6-3, 6-2


Injured

Gael Monfils, wrist


QUALIFYING SINGLES

ROUND 1

Women

(WC)Madison Keys, USA defeated Junri Namigata, JPN
6-4, 6-4


Men

Phillip Simmonds, USA defeated by Flavio Cipolla, ITA
2-6, 2-6

Raven Klaasen, RSA defeated Matteo Viola, ITA
5-7, 6-1, 7-6(5)

Donald Young, USA defeated Denis Kudla, USA
6-2, 7-6(4)


FINAL ROUND

Women

Madison Keys, USA defeated by Laura Pous-Tio, ESP
3-6, 6-7(2)


Men

Raven Klaasen, RSA defeated by Marinko Matosevic, AUS
6-7(4), 4-6

Donald Young, USA defeated Rudolph Siwy, CZE
6-2, 7-6(5)


ROUND 1

Singles

(WC)Alexandra Stevenson, USA vs. (5)Sesil Karatantcheva, KAZ

(WC)Alexis King, USA vs. Kristyna Pliskova, CZE

(2)Stephanie Foretz Gacon, FRA vs. (Q)Melinda Czink, HUN


Doubles

(1)Stefanie Foretz Gacon, FRA and Irena Pavlovic, FRA
vs.
Melinda Czink, HUN and Courtney Nagle, USA

(3)Ahsha Rolle, USA and Mashona Washington, USA
vs.
Katarzyna Piter, POL and Michaela Pochabova, SVK


Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Jennifer Elie, USA
Ahsha Rolle, USA

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The BNP Paribas Open announced Blake as one of their wild card recipients in saying, "American veteran and former World No. 4 James Blake, who will be seeking to conjure up memories of 2006 when he made the finals of the BNP Paribas Open. The 10-time winner on the ATP World Tour battled injuries throughout 2010, but is starting to get healthy and looking to climb the rankings."

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The USTA and First Lady Michelle Obama’s "Let’s Move!" campaign have teamed up to encourage young people across the country to get active, try tennis and lead healthy lifestyles. Components of the collaboration include a new public service announcement to air nationwide, the construction and renovation of thousands of tennis courts across the country and the commitment to encourage 200,000 children to participate in the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award.

"It’s important for kids to get the hour of active play they need every day, and there are so many fun things that each of us can do to be healthier," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "Thanks to programs like the USTA’s 10 and Under Tennis initiative, it’s easier than ever for kids to get active and have fun. And that’s a big part of what we’re doing with Let’s Move!, America’s campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids.

"Tennis is the sport of opportunity. With our new 10 and Under initiative, tennis is also the newest ‘pick-up sport,’ where kids can play in schools, in parks, at clubs and even at home," said Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. "Our new collaboration with the First Lady and ‘Let’s Move!’ will help us reach more families to teach them that tennis is easier to learn and access than ever before."

Working with the Office of the First Lady, the USTA is launching a public service announcement to promote tennis as part of the 60 minutes of play a day kids need. The PSA features First Lady Michelle Obama, Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, all of whom play the role of ballpersons for youngsters playing tennis on courts and with equipment correctly sized for them. Ensuring that children compete with properly sized equipment and on smaller courts is a key component of the USTA’s new 10 and Under Tennis initiative designed to make tennis easier, more accessible and more fun. 10 and Under Tennis is real tennis brought to scale for the sport’s youngest participants, with slower-moving and lower-bouncing balls, lighter and smaller racquets and shorter courts.

The USTA plans to create both a 60-second and a 30-second version of this PSA. Initial plans call for the PSA to be used in tennis programming on CBS Sports, ESPN and Tennis Channel. The PSA will go into broader rotation during the summer months leading up to the US Open, which takes place from August 29 through September 11.

Additionally, the USTA, through its facilities assistance arm, is committed to constructing and renovating 3,000 tennis courts across the country in 2011. As part of this program, all courts that are built or renovated will be lined to enable use in the QuickStart Tennis play format. As part of a public-private partnership, the USTA will build the courts in places where local officials, public parks and schools commit to building tennis into their core programming for kids. The USTA has created a website – USTA.com/facilities – for those groups interested in applying for court construction or renovation and learning more about this major initiative. For more information on 10 & Under Tennis, visit 10andundertennis.com.

In another component of the collaboration, the USTA will use its national resources and programs to encourage 200,000 kids to take the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA), which encourages young Americans to be active 60 minutes a day, five days a week for six weeks in an eight-week period. PALA’s national goal is to get one million youngsters to take this challenge. The USTA plans to activate its National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network, which has 602 chapters impacting more than 250,000 kids, to meet this goal.

"Tennis Night in America" featuring the "BNP Paribas Showdown" on February 28 will serve as the kick-off event for the 2011 tennis season across the country. More than 600 tennis facilities will be participating in the USTA’s third annual National Youth Registration initiative, a month-long event. Tennis Night in America will serve as "opening day" for facilities to sign up children for spring and summer programs, with youth registration events around the country encouraging parents to get involved by volunteering and for everyone to learn more about tennis.

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As she recuperates at home, Serena has not forgotten about all those who have made their concern for her known. Today she posted the following message on her website, Serena Williams:

Hey Loves!

I am overwhelmed, and teary eyed by all the love and support from everyone. I am so blessed to have caring love from everyone. I love each and everyone of you! I am getting better each day. And I will continue to go forward with healing.

Thanks for the support , Prayers, and love.

I love you

Xxx

Serena

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Los Angeles - Tennis star Serena Williams is recuperating at home after suffering an embolism and an additional 'unexpected scare' with a hematoma, according to a spokeswoman. Williams says, 'This has been extremely hard, scary, and disappointing.'

The return to the Grand Slam stage by Serena Williams, who hasn't played in a tennis tournament since winning her fourth Wimbledon last July, will take much longer now after the 29-year-old star underwent emergency medical treatment in Los Angeles this week, less than 10 days after doctors had hospitalized her for a blood clot in her lungs.

It was not immediately known what triggered Monday's treatment of a hematoma -- an area of bleeding -- at Cedars-Sinai, something first reported Wednesday morning by People magazine. She is now recuperating at home.

Late Wednesday, however, it was learned that Williams also had been hospitalized 10 days ago for a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot.

"She was first hospitalized for two days, Feb. 19 and 20," Jill Smoller, Williams' longtime publicist, told The Times. "She'd just gotten to Los Angeles." Williams owns homes in Florida and Los Angeles.

That hospital stay coincided with a tweet by Williams on Feb. 19 in which she said, "My day could not get any worse."

Williams' career, which includes 13 Grand Slam titles, is now on hold indefinitely.

Last week, she told the New York Post that she expected to return to the game in time for the French Open in May. Now she has to hope she can be well enough in time for Wimbledon, which begins June 20.

A statement released Wednesday afternoon by a Williams spokesperson said, "Serena did indeed suffer from a pulmonary embolism last week, and the hematoma was another unexpected scare. Thankfully everything was caught in time. With continued doctor visits to monitor her situation, she is recuperating at home under strict medical supervision.

"Says Serena, 'Thank you everyone for all of your prayers, concerns, and support. This has been extremely hard, scary, and disappointing. I am doing better, I'm at home now and working with my doctors to keep everything under control. I know I will be OK, but am praying and hoping this will all be behind me soon. While I can't make any promises now on my return, I hope to be back by early summer. That said, my main goal is to make sure I get there safely.'"

Williams has been out of action since shortly after Wimbledon when she cut tendons in her right foot in an accident that she said was caused by stepping on broken glass at a restaurant. That required two foot surgeries and until last week she wore a walking boot to restrict movement.

In fact, it was only late last week that Williams was told she would no longer need the boot. On Sunday she wore high heels to Oscar parties.

It is possible that clotting around her foot injury contributed to the embolism, said Dr. Ralph Brindis, president of the American College of Cardiology.

A pulmonary embolism usually originates in a vein in the leg, breaks loose and travels to the lung. Typically, a person develops a pulmonary embolism when he or she has risk factors -- these can include pregnancy, use of oral contraceptives, smoking, clotting disorders or obesity -- and then remains sedentary for a period of time, allowing blood to stagnate in the leg and form a clot. People who take long airplane trips are at particular risk.

Typically, doctors administer anticoagulant drugs such as Coumadin to prevent additional clotting. Williams may be on such medications for several months, doctors said.

In some cases, large emboli are also initially treated with clot-dissolving agents. Brindis said that such agents can cause bleeding, which could explain the hematoma.

Dr. Mark Adelman, chief of vascular and endovascular surgery at New York University's Langone Medical Center, said that Williams' lungs should heal completely. He estimated that for anywhere from six to 12 weeks her doctors would not want her to play tennis at all. After that, Williams might be able to play at a high level, but because the anticoagulants will put her at additional risk of bruises and bleeding, she'll want to avoid getting hit hard during play.

We will be in prayer for Serena and wish her a speedy recovery.

(Read full article at L.A. Times)

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