Injury ends Williams' Wimbledon comeback
Serena Williams has pulled out of her planned Wimbledon doubles appearance with older sister Venus because of a knee injury. The American pair, who are
Serena Williams has pulled out of her planned Wimbledon doubles appearance with older sister Venus because of a knee injury. The American pair, who are si time doubles champions at the All England Club, were scheduled to reunite on a Grand Slam court for the first time since 2022 later on Saturday. However, 44-year-old Serena Williams is not fit enough to play after picking up a knee problem during her defeat by Australia's Maya Joint on Tuesday.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion did not speak to the media following the match, with Wimbledon organisers saying she was "not able to undertake" her duties. "I'm heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles," said Serena in a post on Instagram, external. "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." Williams' hopes of playing in Saturday's doubles looked to have improved after their match was added to order of play on Friday.
Their match against Colombia's Camila Osorio and Argentina's Solana Sierra was allocated a court and not due to be played before 16:30 BST. It suggested Williams was being given as long as possible to declare herself fit after her knee swelled up during a gallant three-set loss to 20-year-old Joint. The loose plan also left Wimbledon with no scheduling issues in case the American superstars did withdraw. "I'm especially grateful to tournament director Jamie Baker and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to play here," said Serena WIlliams.
"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." More to follow.
The BriefWire