Serena Williams has withdrawn from her planned Wimbledon doubles appearance alongside her sister Venus Williams because of a knee injury.
The American sisters, six-time Wimbledon doubles champions, had been due to reunite on a Grand Slam court for the first time since 2022. However, the 44-year-old Serena was unable to recover after suffering the injury during her singles defeat to Australia’s Maya Joint on Tuesday.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion did not speak to the media after that match, with Wimbledon organisers saying she was “not able to undertake” her media duties.
ALSO READ: ‘I never expected to be here,’ Serena Williams opens up on Wimbledon return
In a post on Instagram, Serena expressed her disappointment at missing the doubles event.
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles.
“Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus once more meant the world to me.
“I did everything I could to be ready, but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.”
Serena’s hopes of featuring in Saturday’s doubles had improved after the match against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Argentina’s Solana Sierra was added to the order of play on Friday. The tie had not initially been allocated a court and was not due to begin before 16:30 BST, allowing her additional time to assess her fitness.
Although Serena showed no obvious signs of discomfort during her three-set defeat to Joint and did not receive medical treatment on court, reports indicated her knee swelled shortly after the match. She had been due to practise at the All England Club at 16:00 on Saturday but announced her withdrawal about 15 minutes beforehand.
The Williams sisters have won 12 Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon between them, in addition to six doubles crowns together. News of Serena’s withdrawal was met with disappointment by fans hoping to see the iconic pairing return to the grass-court major.
Serena also revealed details of her recovery in her social media post, sharing photographs showing bandaging on her left knee and what she said were syringes used to drain fluid from the joint.
“I’m especially grateful to tournament director Jamie Baker and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to play here.
“Thank you to the fans after your incredible support and for making this comeback so meaningful.
“All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you.”
Serena has not confirmed her next tournament. Following Wimbledon, the tennis calendar moves to the North American hard-court swing, which culminates in the US Open from 30 August to 13 September.
The American, who turns 45 in September, is a six-time US Open singles champion. She returned to Grand Slam singles competition at Wimbledon after four years away from the sport, having previously played what many believed would be the final match of her career at the 2022 US Open.
Despite the disappointment of her withdrawal, Serena’s performances during her comeback have provided encouragement that she can remain competitive. However, questions remain over whether her body can withstand the demands of top-level tennis as she considers the next stage of her return.
