Serena withdraws from Indian Wells; Kerber to retake top ranking

World No. 1 Serena Williams has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells with a left knee injury.

Williams was the top seed in the draw, and was slated to play either Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig or American qualifier Danielle Rose Collins in her opening match.

With Williams out of the field, world No. 2 Angelique Kerber will retake the top ranking when the Premier tournament concludes on March 19.

In addition to Indian Wells, Williams will miss the Miami Open, which runs from March 21-April 2. She's won that tournament eight times, the most recent title coming in 2015.

Williams hasn't played since winning the Australian Open in January. In two tournaments this year—she played the warm-up event in Auckland prior to the season's first major—Williams is 8-1, her lone defeat coming to countrywoman Madison Brengle.

Williams, 35, boycotted the tournament from 2001 until 2015 after an ugly incident at the turn of the century in which she felt the crowd verbally abused and racially targeted her. She won the tournament in 1999 and 2001, and lost to Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 6-4, in the final last year.

Kerber is now the top seed, and is followed by Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep and Dominika Cibulkova.

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