Serena Williams' participation in the Wimbledon doubles match with her sister Venus is in doubt following a knee injury sustained during her singles comeback. The 44-year-old tennis legend missed post-match media obligations after her singles defeat on Tuesday, leading to speculation and criticism.
A statement from Williams' team on Wednesday clarified that she "tweaked her knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams." The statement added that she is "doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week."
The Williams sisters, who have won the Wimbledon doubles title together six times, are scheduled to play Solana Sierra of Argentina and Camila Osorio of Colombia in the first round on Friday. Their progress in the tournament now hinges on Serena's recovery.
Williams' absence from the mandatory press conference after her singles match, where she lost to 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint, sparked criticism on social media. Fans interpreted her lack of appearance as an abrupt departure following a difficult match. However, the All England Club confirmed that Williams would not face a fine for skipping media duties, indicating a legitimate reason.
One of Williams' coaches, former doubles world No. 1 Rennae Stubbs, defended the tennis star, calling the criticism "astounding" and highlighting a "lack of empathy." Stubbs stated on social media, "The hate and lack of empathy in this world is astounding to me. Especially when you have no idea what you're talking about. Just blows my mind."
Williams had previously expressed her enjoyment of returning to Wimbledon, stating, "It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything."