Serena Williams’ much-anticipated return to Wimbledon has come to an emotional end after the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion withdrew from the women’s doubles event because of a knee injury sustained during her opening-round singles match. The decision also ended the prospect of another memorable Wimbledon appearance alongside her sister Venus Williams, with whom she has enjoyed one of the greatest doubles partnerships in tennis history.
The Williams sisters had received a wildcard entry into the women’s doubles draw and were scheduled to face Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the opening round. Tournament organisers had delayed scheduling their match in the hope that Serena would recover in time after injuring her right knee during her three-set first-round singles defeat to Australia’s Maya Joint earlier in the week.
However, despite several days of treatment, the American legend was unable to regain full fitness. Confirming her withdrawal through an emotional Instagram post, Williams expressed disappointment at missing what would have been another opportunity to compete with her older sister.
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” Williams wrote in a message on Instagram. “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.
“I’m especially grateful to tournament director, Jamie Baker, and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to play here. 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…
The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match…yikes! 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.”
Alongside the statement, Serena shared a video showing her walking with heavy strapping around her right leg as well as photographs of syringes filled with fluid drained from her injured knee, illustrating the severity of the issue.
The withdrawal ends what had been one of the biggest storylines of this year’s Championships. Serena, now 44, made a surprise return to professional tennis after nearly four years away from the WTA Tour, accepting wildcard entries into both the singles and doubles events at the All England Club.
Her comeback generated enormous excitement among fans eager to see one of the sport’s greatest champions compete once again on the grass courts where she won seven Wimbledon singles titles. Her first-round singles contest against 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint proved to be one of the tournament’s most watched matches.
Although Serena battled hard before losing in three sets, she suffered the knee injury during the contest, casting immediate doubt over her participation in doubles. Her appearance attracted an audience of approximately 1.8 million viewers on ESPN, making it the network’s biggest Day 2 Wimbledon audience and highlighting the enduring popularity of the American icon.
Tournament director Jamie Baker acknowledged earlier in the week that Wimbledon had deliberately delayed the Williams sisters’ doubles match to maximise Serena’s chances of recovering. The pair’s absence from both Thursday’s and Friday’s schedules had fuelled speculation that organisers were giving the former world No. 1 every possible opportunity to return to the court. Ultimately, the recovery timeline proved too short, forcing the difficult decision to withdraw.
With the Williams sisters out of the draw, Samantha Murray Sharan and Lanlana Tararudee have taken their place in the women’s doubles competition.
Serena and Venus have enjoyed one of the most decorated partnerships in tennis history. Together they have captured 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, including six Wimbledon crowns, while also winning three Olympic gold medals as a team. Their last Grand Slam doubles appearance came at the 2022 US Open before Serena stepped away from the sport.
Although this chapter of Serena’s comeback has ended sooner than expected, her social media message hinted that fans may not have seen the last of her. Her closing remark, “stay tuned to a city near you,” has fuelled speculation that she could target another appearance later this season, potentially at the US Open if her recovery progresses well.
