Serena Williams was forced to pull out of the Wuhan Open on Tuesday after suffering from a viral illness during her 2^nd round match at the event in China. Soon after, she was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

The tennis star was up 6-5 in the first set against Alize Cornet when she called a trainer during the changeover. Williams, who was visibly uneasy, then had her blood pressure and temperature taken.

After consulting with the tournament's medical staff, the 32-year-old made the tough decision to withdraw from the match.

Williams, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, later released a statement regarding her unexpected exit.

"I'm sorry to all the fans in Wuhan," said Williams. "I felt dizzy and nauseous in the first set and unfortunately couldn't continue."

Williams's viral illness reportedly made it too difficult for her to play.  

This is the second time this summer that the athlete has gotten sick on court. Williams also withdrew from a doubles match with her sister Venus during Wimbledon due to a virus, which left her visibly woozy.  

Due to the withdrawal, Cornet has now technically beaten Williams three times over the course of this season. The other defeats include the third round of Wimbledon and the semifinals in Dubai. The French player is now the first woman to accomplish this against Williams since Justine Henin pulled off three wins in 2007.  

The tennis superstar isn't alone in her departure however. Eleven out of the sixteen seeded players at the Wuhan Open are already out of the tournament, which is new to the circuit.

This appearance was Williams' first since winning the US Open earlier this month. She is scheduled to play the China Open in Beijing next week.

In other Wuhan Open news, Williams' close friend Caroline Wozniacki, who is seeded eighth, survived her tight three set match to Carla Suarez Navarro: 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (4).