Serena Williams loses No. 1 ranking, likely is done playing tennis for the year

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Serena Williams is no longer the world’s No. 1 women’s tennis player.

She lost that ranking to Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki on Monday, the day after Williams announced that she is pulling out of a tournament in Linz, Austria, and is probably finished playing tennis for the rest of the year.

A foot injury has kept Williams from playing since July, when she won her fourth Wimbledon title. Williams wrote on her website Sunday that she aggravated the injury while training for her return to competitive tennis.

‘I am likely out for the year now,’ Williams said on her website. ‘I was really looking forward to beginning my comeback in Linz, followed by the year-end championships in Doha, [Qatar]. I feel completely heartbroken, and devastated, but knowing I will never be given more than I can handle I plan on coming back stronger and better.’

Williams was the top-ranked woman for 49 weeks. Wozniacki moved into the top spot on the same day she won the China Open with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Vera Zvonareva of Russia.

Last week Williams’ sister, Venus, announced that she will not play for the rest of 2010 because of a knee injury. Venus Williams dropped from third to fourth in the latest world rankings.

-- Chuck Schilken