Tennis great Serena Williams on Wednesday announced she will not be participating in this year's Australian Open in January on the 'advice from her medical team.'

In a statement following her noticeable absence from the early list of players at this year's tournament, Williams, 40, said: 'Following the advice of my medical team, I have decided to withdraw from this year's Australian Open.

'While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete.

'Melbourne is one of my favorite cities to visit, and I look forward to playing in the AO every year. I will miss seeing the fans, but am excited to return and compete at my highest level.' 

The announcement comes just one month after Craig Tiley, CEO of the Australian Open, said Williams would likely play in the tournament. 

Williams, 40, has not played on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour since June 28, when she retired late in the first set of her opening round match at Wimbledon due to an injured right hamstring.

The injury has been slow to heal, The New York Times reported, and kept Williams from competing in this year's U.S. Open in New York City. Her rank has since dropped to 41, despite holding more Grand Slam titles than any other player.