Former champion Serena Williams has pulled out of the French Open, organisers said on Friday.

The American, who won in Paris in 2002, has been suffering from an ankle injury. Her withdrawal was announced just before the start of Friday's draw for the claycourt tournament starting on Monday.

The 23-year-old world number four sustained a left ankle sprain in the quarter-finals at Amelia Island against Italian Silvia Farina Elia last month.

The injury forced the former world number one to miss a Fed Cup tie against Belgium and a scheduled trip to Berlin for the German Open.

She returned to action last week in Rome but lost her opening match there to Italian Francesca Schiavone.