5 most injury-prone female tennis players in recent times

They say the fall from glory hurts a lot. And there's nothing worse than an injury to bring about a fall.Injuries have always been a part of the game of tennis. Some of the injuries don’t have a much bearing on a player( since they may receive instant treatment, courtesy Volini sprays and return back to the court) while others may not be so lucky.While most players work hard at their game to reclaim the top spot again, there are a few unfortunate ones who get saddled with one injury after another, often cutting into the recovery time as well.Here is a look at some of the most injury-prone female tennis players:

#5 Serena Williams

The current world number 1 has seen both mental and physical injuries come in the way of her title-accumulation. But Williams has definitely been a hero in tackling them with utmost patience and strength.

In 2008, she withdrew from three tournaments because of a dental surgery. In 2010, she had stepped on broken glass and went out of action for most of that year. In 2011, she also confirmed that she was suffering from hematoma and pulmonary embolism.

Williams withdrew from the China Open this year due to a left-knee injury. She was in agony when she stated, “It throbs just sitting, standing.I felt it mostly serving because I'm landing on my left knee. That was really killer for me.”

#4 Sabine Lisicki

The fall and rise of Sabine Lisicki over the years has been truly dramatic. The German turned pro in 2006 and her big break came in the 2009 Wimbledon Championships where she reached the quarterfinals. In 2010, she was plagued by an ankle injury that took her out of action for five months, and soon she was out of the top-200 ranking.

When she recalls that time, she states, “It was a very tough time for me. Even walking, in the beginning, was tough. I had zero muscles in my calf so I had to rebuild them and basically had to learn how to walk and run again. Before the injury, I had no trouble running for 30, 40 or 60 minutes. When I first started to run after the injury, after 45 or 50 seconds I was dead sometimes. Those kinds of things make you wonder ‘How am I supposed to get back?’”

She recovered and came back to form in 2012, reaching her career best ranking of 12. But she suffered an ankle injury in the same year which prevented her from giving her best, and to this day she continues to battle for fitness.

#3 Li Na

2014 Australian Open champion Li Na’s retirement earlier this year shook the tennis world. The two-time Grand Slam winner announced her retirement as she was unable to cope with the string of knee injuries that had plagued her career.

Earlier this year, she had pulled out of the US Open because of the knee injuries that were bothering her for several months. Before retiring, she lost to a player who was ranked 103^rd in the world, and she also made a third round exit at Wimbledon this year.

"After four knee surgeries and hundreds of shots injected into my knee weekly to alleviate swelling and pain, my body is begging me to stop the pounding. As hard as I tried to get back to being 100 per cent, my body kept telling me that, at 32, I will not be able to compete at the top level ever again. The sport is just too competitive, too good, to not be 100 per cent.", said Li Na about her retirement.

#2 Venus Williams

Venus Williams hasn’t had the best results in Grand Slams over the past few years. The former World No. 1 had fallen way down the world rankings due to injury and illness, and although she has now bounced back into the top 20, she is still far from peak fitness.

Venus struggled with various knee and shoulder injuries from 2003 to 2006. By 2010, she returned to the top 5. However, in 2011, she announced that she was suffering from an auto-immune disorder which resulted in injuries and muscle fatigue.

In 2013, she withdrew from the Wimbledon Championships due to a back injury. This was the first time she was missing an appearance at the grasscourt Major since her debut in 1997. Even in 2014, she was forced to withdraw from the women’s doubles draw at the Australian Open because of a severe leg injury.

Her fans wonder whether the former world number 1 would ever come back to the top of the rankings given her age and injuries. In fact, she hasn’t been past the fourth round at a Major tournament since 2010.

#1 Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova is currently ranked No. 2 in the world, but this climb to the top has not been a cakewalk. Turning pro when she was just 14 years of age, Sharapova has been through a lot, and her injuries have made things even more difficult.

In 2008, a major shoulder injury sidelined her and resulted in a series of losses. The entire second half of that season was a drag for her as she was constantly plagued by a recurring shoulder injury. In 2009, she underwent a surgery and the rehabilitation took close to three years, when finally in 2011, she made it back into the top 5 ranking.

In 2014, at the first Grand Slam of the year, Sharapova was sent packing by Slovak Dominika Cibulkova. The crowds, her fans – everyone – was shocked to see her fourth-round exit, but she later revealed that she was suffering from a hip injury. In the same press conference, she also said, "I mean, those aches and pains are expected when you spend a long time on the court. You just have to play through it."