Sharapova will not compete in Beijing

Sharapova has been forced out of competition with a shoulder injury(Photo credit: Elsa/Getty Images)Photo Gallery>>(BEIJING, August 1) -- Tennis World No. Three Maria Sharapova has confirmed that she will not be competing at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

The 21-year-old has stated that she is suffering from torn tendons in her right shoulder, an injury serious enough to rule her out of competition in Beijing as well as casting doubt over her inclusion in the U.S. Open.

"The timing is so unfortunate, and this makes me more sad than anything," Sharapova told fans on her website on July 31.

"I wanted to let all of you know first that there's no chance of me competing in Beijing," she said.

The decision comes after the former Wimbledon Champion showed signs of stress against Poland's Marta Domachowska in winning 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 in the second round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal on July 30, after which she withdrew from the tournament.

"After [the] match, I knew there was something seriously wrong with my shoulder," Sharapova said. "After taking a few different exams and MRIs this morning, the doctors found two small tears in the tendons of my shoulder."

The Russian was not playing to her usual standard during the game, committing 17 double faults and twice requesting on-court treatment for her injury, which has been causing her trouble since March.

"This is something that needs a lot of time to heal," she said. "[It] really hurts me to say that I have to miss the Olympics."

Sharapova has won 19 World Tennis Association singles titles, including this year's Australian Open in Melbourne and Wimbledon in 2004.