Serena Williams has withdrawn from her scheduled doubles match at Wimbledon with her sister Venus due to a right knee injury, the tennis star announced via Instagram.
The withdrawal came after Williams' singles return earlier in the week, where she lost to Maya Joint in a three-set match on June 30. Williams stated on Instagram that she had undergone treatment for her knee, including draining fluid. "The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match…yikes!" she wrote. "The good news is my knee shouldn’t swell or collect that much fluid again. The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I just wasn’t able to get it ready for doubles."
Williams expressed her disappointment, stating, "I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams once more meant the world to me."
The sisters were scheduled to face Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. This match was the only first-round doubles match not played earlier in the week, having been postponed to allow Williams more recovery time. The Williams sisters have won six Wimbledon doubles titles together.
Venus Williams had participated in the mixed doubles tournament on Friday with Kevin Krawietz, but they were eliminated in straight sets. Despite the setback, Serena Williams hinted at a potential return to competition soon, telling fans, "All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you."