23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams had to withdraw from the women’s doubles event at Wimbledon due to an injury, hours before she was set to take the stage with sister Venus Williams.
The American duo, six-time doubles champions at the All England Club, were all set to reunite on a Grand Slam court for the first time since 2022 later on Saturday, July 4.
But 44-year-old Serena has been ruled out after sustaining a knee injury during her loss to Australia’s Maya Joint on Tuesday.
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams once more meant the world to me,” Serena posted on Instagram.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, Serena, didn’t address the media after the match, with Wimbledon organisers stating that she was unable to fulfil her post-match media obligations.
There had been renewed optimism over Serena’s chances of featuring in Saturday’s doubles after the match was added to Friday’s order of play. The contest against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra hadn’t yet been assigned a court and wasn’t scheduled to start before 4:30 pm BST (9 pm IST).
It suggested that Serena was being given every possible chance to prove her fitness after her knee swelled up during a valiant three-set loss to 20-year-old Maya Joint.
The flexible scheduling also ensured Wimbledon would face minimal disruption if the American stars were forced to withdraw.
Serena had been scheduled to practise at the All England Club at 4:00 pm (8:30 pm IST), but announced her withdrawal around 15 minutes beforehand. In a post confirming her decision, she shared pictures showing heavy bandaging on her left knee, along with images of what she said were syringes used to drain fluid from the affected area.
