Serena Williams has been forced to withdraw from the women's doubles at Wimbledon alongside her sister Venus after suffering a knee injury during her singles match against Maya Joint. The seven-time singles champion made her Grand Slam comeback on Tuesday evening, but a three-set defeat on Centre Court left her with a knee injury that prevented her from competing in the doubles.
Injury Details and Withdrawal
The 44-year-old sustained the injury late in the first set of her singles match. Despite efforts to recover, she was unable to take part in the doubles, which was scheduled for Saturday. Wimbledon organisers had bent the rules to allow the Williams sisters extra recovery time, moving their first-round doubles match from Thursday or Friday to Saturday. Tournament director Jamie Baker arranged the schedule change to give Serena every possible chance to compete.
Serena posted on Instagram: "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."
Medical Treatment and Social Media Update
Serena shared a photo of syringes showing the fluid drained from her knee after the singles match, writing: "The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match...yikes! The good news is my knee shouldn't swell or collect that much fluid again. The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I just wasn't able to get it ready for doubles."
Earlier in the week, Serena had expressed optimism about playing doubles, posting: "It felt so good to be back. I'm incredibly thankful for the wildcard - and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it's never too late to chase something you love. I tweaked my knee late in the first set, but I'll be doing everything I can to be ready for doubles."
Replacement and Sister Venus's Schedule
The Williams sisters will be substituted by a lucky loser in the women's doubles draw. Venus Williams, 46, will continue to compete at SW19 in the mixed doubles alongside Kevin Krawietz. Serena's agent Jill Smoller said: "Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams. She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week."
Gratitude and Future Hints
Serena expressed gratitude to tournament director Jamie Baker and the entire tournament team for giving her every opportunity to play. She thanked fans for their support, adding: "All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you.." hinting at future appearances. The withdrawal marks a disappointing end to her Wimbledon comeback, but she remains hopeful for future competitions.
