We return with tennis news where Serena Williams has pulled out of her title defense at the Australian Open later this month. The 23-time Grand Slam Champion saying she needs more time to recover from giving birth in September. The American won last year's event, while she was eight weeks pregnant.

The 36-year-old, who was going for an eighth win at the event, says she is close to regaining full fitness but is not ready to defend her title. After winning down under in 2017, Williams then announced her pregnancy and has only featured once in public since, losing to French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko at an exhibition in Abu Dhabi last week. The American is one Grand Slam victory away from equalling the all-time record held by Aussie legend Margaret Court and hasn't specified when she aims to make a comeback.