Serena Williams Withdraws from Wimbledon Doubles
Serena Williams, competing at her first Wimbledon since 2022, has withdrawn from the doubles event alongside her sister Venus Williams due to a knee injury.
The American duo, six-time doubles champions at the All England Club, were set to reunite on a Grand Slam court for the first time since 2022 later on Saturday.
However, 44-year-old Serena Williams is unable to participate after sustaining a knee problem during her defeat by Australia's Maya Joint on Tuesday.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion did not address the media following the match, with Wimbledon organisers stating she was "not able to undertake" her media duties.
"I'm heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles," said Serena in an Instagram post.
"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."
Serena Williams' chances of playing in Saturday's doubles had appeared to improve after their match was included in the order of play on Friday.
Their match against Colombia's Camila Osorio and Argentina's Solana Sierra was assigned a court and was not scheduled before 16:30 BST.
This scheduling suggested Williams was being given maximum time to assess her fitness after her knee swelled following a resilient three-set loss to 20-year-old Joint.
The provisional plan also allowed Wimbledon to avoid scheduling conflicts in case the American stars withdrew.
"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."
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