Serena Williams Withdraws from Doubles Due to Knee Injury
Serena Williams will not be competing alongside her sister Venus Williams in the Wimbledon doubles event after withdrawing from their first-round match. The withdrawal follows a knee injury Serena sustained during her singles return at Wimbledon.
Williams had been attempting to recover in time to face Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra on Saturday afternoon. However, she was unable to recover from twisting her knee in the first set of her opening-round singles match against Maya Joint, which she lost 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3.
In a statement posted on social media, Williams expressed her disappointment:
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside once more meant the world to me. I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.
“I’m especially grateful to tournament director, Jamie Baker, and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to recover. Thank you to the fans for your incredible support and for making this comeback so meaningful … All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you …”
A Historic Reunion That Won't Happen
This event was set to be a monumental occasion, marking the first time Serena and Venus, aged 44 and 46 respectively, would compete together since the 2022 US Open. It would also have been their first Wimbledon doubles appearance together since winning the title in 2016.
Despite focusing primarily on singles throughout their careers, the sisters are considered one of the greatest doubles teams in tennis history. Together, they have won six Wimbledon doubles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles overall.
Williams’ Return and Injury Timeline
Serena Williams had returned to professional tennis after a four-year hiatus following her official retirement at the 2022 US Open. She chose to compete in doubles events at Queen’s Club and Berlin as part of her comeback.
Wimbledon organizers left their final singles wildcard open for Williams until the last moment. The 24-time Grand Slam champion accepted the wildcard just a day before the deadline last Monday. Given her age and the long absence from top-level singles competition, her body struggled to cope with the physical demands of the match.
Following her singles loss, uncertainty surrounded her participation in doubles. Williams confirmed her knee injury the day after her defeat and did not train on-site during the five days following the singles match.
Anticipation and Scheduling Challenges
The prospect of Serena and Venus competing together in doubles was one of the most anticipated events of the Wimbledon Championships. Tournament organizers made accommodations and pushed rules to facilitate their participation.
By the end of play on Friday, all women’s doubles first-round matches had been completed except for the Williams sisters’ match.
Uncertainty persisted into Saturday as their match was not assigned a fixed time slot, instead listed as "to be announced" with a start time no earlier than 4:30 p.m. Britain’s Samantha Murray Sharan and Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee have since replaced the Williams sisters in the draw.
Venus was scheduled to train at Aorangi Park, the All England Club’s practice courts, at 2:30 p.m., and Serena was scheduled for 4 p.m. Ultimately, Serena’s emotional farewell to the Centre Court crowd after her singles loss on Monday marked her final appearance on the grass courts at the All England Club this year and possibly in her career.
