Serena Williams ends Wimbledon return, withdraws from doubles over knee injury

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Serena Williams’ bid to extend her Wimbledon comeback ended on Saturday when she withdrew from the doubles draw because of a knee problem.

The American, 44, and her sister Venus had been set to open their doubles campaign that same day. Serena disclosed only hours ahead of the fixture that her knee had still not recovered enough for her to take the court.

“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” she wrote on Instagram.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles winner, picked up the injury during Tuesday’s first-round singles defeat to Australia’s Maya Joint. That outing marked her first singles appearance at a major since the 2022 US Open, ending a four-year spell away from the sport.

The pair, who have lifted the Wimbledon doubles trophy on six occasions, earned a wild card and were booked to meet Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio. Tournament officials did not assign them a court in the published order of play, which fuelled speculation that Serena might not play.

She confirmed the withdrawal to the dismay of supporters worldwide, explaining that swelling in her knee left her unable to push on with what had been a striking return to the All England Club.

“Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus once more meant the world to me,” she said. “I did everything I could to be ready, but unfortunately, my knee just isn’t ready to compete.”

Williams also shared an image of syringes, noting they held fluid drained from the joint following her singles match. “The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match…yikes!”