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Serena Williams Decides to Heal Up, Take the Rest of 2015 Off

The strongest muscle is the heart. And you can't put Tiger Balm on it.

The strongest muscle in the body is the heart, and you can't put Tiger Balm on it. After getting knocked out of the US Open by the infinitely-charming Roberta Vinci earlier this summer, Serena Williams is taking a break from tennis for the rest of 2015. Both because of injuries to the body and, well, the soul. "It's no secret I've played injured most of the year," Williams said in a statement on Thursday. "Whether it was my elbow, my knee, or, in the final moments after a certain match in Flushing, my heart.

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Else where in that statement, Williams talks about how she has stayed in the big picture. After all, the No. 1 ranked women's tennis player has smashed out 69 career titles since 1999.

I want to compete as well as I can as long as I can. So I'm taking a proactive step and withdrawing from tournaments in Beijing and Singapore to properly address my health and take the time to heal…I plan to return to practicing and participating in exhibition matches later this year. And when I do, l will focus and focus and focus so I can continue my journey in this beautiful game.

Expect a lot of ice baths between now and January. Expect the greatest player of her era to get back to business after that.