CLEVELAND —
8/20 Update:
Tennis legend Venus Williams announced Sunday that she is withdrawing from the "Tennis in the Land" event due to an issue with her knee.
Her statement can be seen below.
"Hey, everybody. It's Venus here. I'm so sorry that I'm not going to be able to make it to Cleveland. I've always wanted to play Tennis in the Land since it started, so I was really looking forward to it. I love the fans in the Midwest. You guys are awesome. And of course, I was looking forward to getting some matches to tune up for the US Open.
But unfortunately, my knee is just not acting right. It's just not supporting me being on the court right now. And it's such a bummer. I'm just bummed out about it, but I'm going to work on myself and try to get myself together so that way I can, you know, be at the Open and also hopefully come in play for you guys next year.
I love you, sending all my love. I'm so sorry. And I'll see you next time."
Original Story:
Taking place in downtown Cleveland, the annual "Tennis in the Land" is set to begin on Saturday, August 19.
And when it does, it will include one of the biggest stars in the sport's history, with a spokesperson confirming that Venus Williams will be a part of this year's field.
One of the most accomplished tennis players of all time, Williams ranks second among women in WTA career prize money with $42,483,119 -- trailing only her sister, the recently retired Serena Williams. A seven-time singles Grand Slam winner, the former world's No. 1 overall player lays claim to five victories at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open, as well as 14 doubles Grand Slam titles while playing alongside her sister, Serena.
"It is a special thing to see Venus Williams," says Tennis in the Land Tournament Director Kyle Ross. "I want to be clear she is still really good. Last week, she beat the 14th ranked player in the world. She's an icon of the game. She's changed the sport, not just in terms of what she's done on the court, but as a leader and pioneer. She changed what tennis means to a lot of people."
A four-time Olympic gold medal winner, Venus Williams headlines a "Tennis in The Land" field that also includes 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens and WTA No. 11 overall player Barbora Krejčíková, among at least 18 top 100 players.
The full field for the event, which runs from Aug. 19-26 at the Nautica Entertainment Complex, can be found at TennisInTheLand.com. You can also find more information about tickets there.
"These women are so good at what they do. They are truly world-class," Ross adds.
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