Serena Williams confirms she's ending season early 'to address my health'

In a statement released by the China Open, which begins on Saturday, Williams confirmed that she was ending her season prematurely - citing a desire to give her body time to recover from a succession of injuries as the reason.

"It's no secret I've played injured most of the year - whether it was my elbow, my knee, or, in the final moments after a certain match in Flushing (Meadows, the US Open venue), my heart," Williams said.

"I'm a fierce competitor and I want to compete as well as I can, for as long as I can. So I am taking a proactive step and withdrawing from tournaments in Beijing and Singapore (the WTA Finals) to properly address my health and take the time to heal."

Reports earlier in the week had speculated that Williams had decided to end her season early as she struggled to come to terms with the disappointing end to her bid for the calendar Grand Slam, which fell apart when she lost to Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals of the US Open.

"This is a very difficult decision, but one ultimately made because of the love of the game," she added. "I plan to return to practising and participating in exhibition matches later this year. And when I do, l will focus and focus and focus so I can continue my journey in this beautiful game."

Williams won 55 of 58 matches in 2015. Regardless of other results between now and December, she will end the year as world No. 1 for the fifth time in a row.