Williams has not played competitively for nearly eight months after undergoing a knee operation but had hoped to make her comeback at the $600,000 event in Doha.
Serena Williams's health and gamesmanship were the subjects on everyone's lips at the French Open.
Six-time Miami champion Serena Williams and five-time runner-up Maria Sharapova remained on another Sony Open collision course after each recorded fourth-round wins on Monday.
Serena Williams finished her last U.S. Open tune-up in style by blowing away Serbian Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-1 to win her first title at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati on Sunday.
Also making it to the last eight were Svetlana Kuznetsova and Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova.
Top seed Serena Williams won the final eight games to rout Andrea Petkovic in the semi-final at the Stanford Classic in California on Saturday.
Serena Williams has still not kicked post Wimbledon jet lag, but she still managed to beat Chanelle Scheepers 6-4, 6-0 in the quarter-finals of the Stanford Classic on Friday.
Fatigue and a busy schedule was not going to get in the way of Serena Williams returning to the place she says launched her comeback and gave her the confidence to believe she could win another Grand Slam.
"I'd like to thank all of the fans who have been so supportive. I'll be back... better than ever," said the world number three.
Rafael Nadal made short work of his great rival Roger Federer to win the Italian Open, his sixth trophy of the year, 6-1, 6-3 on Sunday.
Serena Williams's motivating factor in her WTA Championships triumph on Sunday was to save her own sanity, the American said after beating Maria Sharapova in the final of the season-ending tournament.
American Serena Williams reached the semi-finals at the WTA Tour Championships in Istanbul on Thursday with what is fast becoming a routine defeat of World No 1 Victoria Azarenka.
Serena Williams marched into the second round of the US Open on Tuesday and despite being seeded only fourth at Flushing Meadows, the American is in no doubt she is the world's best player.
Serena Williams showed tennis was not just the domain of teenagers as she climbed back to the top of the world rankings on Friday, becoming the oldest female to hold the coveted position at the age of 31.
Serena Williams revived memories of her two Australian Open titles by coming from a set and a break down to beat Russian fifth seed Nadia Petrova 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 and book a place in the fourth round on Friday.
Serena Williams reached the Family Circle Cup semi-finals on Friday by beating number two seed Maria Sharapova 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 while Vera Zvonareva upset top seed Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Sharapova, who won only nine of 35 points in a final set during which Williams made only one unforced error, lost to the American for the fifth time in seven career matches.
Henin and Williams have met eight times in their careers but Saturday's clash will be the first since the muscular American won a semi-final meeting with the Belgian at Wimbledon nearly four years ago.
World No 1 Williams, 33, could not practise on Friday, still suffering from an illness that left her coughing and spluttering during her three-set semi-final win over Swiss Timea Bacsinszky.
Serena Williams retained her Sony Ericsson Open title with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 win over fourth seed Jelena Jankovic in windy conditions on Saturday. The eighth-seeded American, who is now tied with Germany's Steffi Graf for the record of five Miami titles, triumphed on her eighth match point with an overhead smash.
Serena Williams trounced Maria Kirilenko at the Australian Open on Monday, setting up an all-American quarter-final with her would-be successor Sloane Stephens after Andy Murray had put flagging Frenchman Gilles Simon out of his misery.
Serena and Venus Williams added another chapter to what the world number one claims to be greatest story in tennis when she outslugged her sister 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals of the US Open.
Tournament favourite Serena Williams withdrew from the Italian Open on Saturday with a lower back injury, the WTA said.
Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams will square off for the Madrid Open title after the current and former World No. 1's swept into the final with a minimum of fuss on Saturday.
Ruthless Serena Williams underlined her dominance at the top of women's tennis on Sunday, completing her year in style with a 6-2, 7-6 defeat of big sister Venus in the final of the WTA Championships.
Serena Williams powered into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Dayana Yastremska then consoled the Ukrainian teenager after leaving her in tears.
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff resume their simmering rivalry on the pristine lawns of London.
Serena Williams produced 20 aces and blasted her way into the quarter-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Australian Samantha Stosur on Monday.
Nothing, absolutely nothing could stop Serena Williams from completing the magnificent TWO-O on Saturday and the American joyously bounced around as she hoisted a Grand Slam singles trophy for the 20th time with victory at the French Open.
Russia's Elena Dementieva defeated a hobbling Serena Williams 6-3, 6-2 at the Olympic tennis centre on Friday to win the Sydney International for the second year in a row.
The 23-year-old studied at Harvard before turning professional on the tennis tour and Serena thinks he has got it all.
Serena Williams extended her winning streak to 29 matches when she beat Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals to continue her run towards a second French Open title on Tuesday.
Top seed Serena Williams overcame a week fighting jet-lag to beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 7-5, 6-3 to retain the Stanford Classic title on Sunday.
Serena Williams overcame an even-numbered year hoodoo and the fairytale return of an opponent once ranked number one in the world to claim her 12th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Saturday's Australian Open showdown between Serena Williams and Justine Henin is more than a dream final between defending champion and comeback queen.
Installed by bookmakers as the favourite to win Wimbledon and a first grand slam title after stunning holder Serena Williams in the last 16 on Monday, Sabine Lisicki flashed a winning smile that belied any feelings of pressure.
A preview of the Ladies semi-finals at Wimbledon.
American Serena Williams barged her way into the second round at Wimbledon on Monday with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Portuguese qualifier Neuza Silva.
Serena Williams easily won her eagerly-awaited clash with Sloane Stephens at the US Open on Sunday as normal service resumed at the last Grand Slam of year.
