Serena Williams out of Australian Open

Defending champ Serena Williams has pulled her name from next year’s Australian Open tennis tournament following a second surgery on her injured foot.

Williams, who’s won five of her 13 Grand Slam singles titles at Melbourne Park, informed organizers of the season- opening major of her decision to pull out today.

Williams, 29, hasn’t played competitively since she successfully defended her Wimbledon title in July. The American said she cut her foot on a shard of glass in Germany following that victory and had surgery later that month. She said today that she had a second operation last month.

In October, Williams said she wouldn’t be playing for the rest of 2010 after re-tearing a tendon in her right foot. She finished the year ranked fourth, as Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark took over the top spot.

Serena Williams out of U.S. Open

Serena Williams pulled out of the U.S. Open on Friday, saying she still is recovering from surgery to repair cuts on her right foot.

The top-ranked Williams has won three titles at Flushing Meadows, part of her 13 Grand Slam singles championships, most among active women. Last year, she lost in the U.S. Open semifinals after a tirade at a line judge over a foot-fault call, an outburst that drew a record fine.

In a statement released by her publicist, Williams called missing the tournament "one of the most devastating moments of my career."

In a freak accident, the 28-year-old American reportedly was hurt by a broken glass at a restaurant while she was in Munich, shortly after winning her fourth Wimbledon singles title July 3. Williams had surgery July 15.

It looks like Caroline Wozniacki will be the women's top seed with Serena out of action.

The U.S. Open is Aug. 30-Sept. 12.