Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Wimbledon doubles tournament with her sister Venus, hours before their scheduled match, due to a knee injury.
"I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles," Williams stated 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 but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete."
The 44-year-old tennis star shared details of her injury, including a photo of fluid drained from her knee after her singles match. "The good news is that my knee shouldn't swell or collect that much fluid again," she noted, while acknowledging the setback.
Williams' return to Wimbledon after a four-year absence has been limited. Her participation was further complicated when she failed to appear for her post-match press conference following her first-round singles defeat to Maya Joint, initially leading to online speculation about a media snub. Her agent later clarified that the absence was due to a knee injury.
The All England Club had reportedly rescheduled the sisters' doubles match to give Williams more time to recover. However, she announced her withdrawal via Instagram shortly before their planned practice session.
Williams' recent grass-court matches have included a first-round doubles win at Queen's, from which she and partner Victoria Mboko withdrew due to Mboko's knee injury, a defeat in Berlin with Karolina Muchova, and her singles loss at Wimbledon. She also posted a picture of the fluid drained from her knee.
Despite the disappointment at Wimbledon, Williams hinted at future competitions. "All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you…" she posted, suggesting she is targeting a return to the U.S. Open in August, with potential stops in Washington, Cincinnati, and Toronto.