Venus Williams [ Images ] has joined her sister Serena in withdrawing from the French Open [ Images ] because of injury, the WTA said on Saturday.

The world number 19 has not played since retiring from the Australian Open [ Images ] in January with an abdominal injury and she has failed to recover sufficiently, the WTA added.

With Serena also absent, this year's French Open from May 22 to June 5 will be the first grand slam event without a Williams sister since the 2003 US Open [ Images ].

Serena is recovering from a pulmonary embolism and foot injury.

A number of high profile names have recently pulled out of the claycourt grand slam as former world number one Dinara Safina [ Images ] is taking an indefinite break while Kim Clijsters [ Images ] is also a doubt after injuring herself at her cousin's wedding.

Venus, 30, pulled out of the Brussels Open warm-up event earlier this week.

She has played at the French Open every year since 1998, reaching one final in 2002, when she lost to Serena.