Serena Williams pulls out of Rogers Cup with inflamed shoulder

— -- MONTREAL -- Serena Williams has pulled out of the Rogers Cup because of shoulder inflammation.

The three-time champion at the event was seeded first in the hard-court tournament and was set to have a bye in the first round.

"Due to inflammation in my shoulder, I unfortunately must withdraw from the Rogers Cup," Williams said in a statement. "I was looking forward to competing in Montreal and I look forward to returning soon."

Williams is coming off her seventh Wimbledon title earlier this month. The win tied Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slam titles.

"Because this is an Olympic year, the players have very full schedules," tournament director Eugene Lapierre said. "Sometimes your body needs rest. We hope that Serena will recover quickly and wish her much success for the rest of the season."