Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Wimbledon women's doubles, ending hopes of a reunion with sister Venus Williams. The 23-time grand slam champion failed to recover from a knee injury sustained in her opening-round singles match against Maya Joint, which she lost 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3.
Injury Forces Withdrawal
Williams twisted her knee in the first set of her singles return, and despite efforts to recover, she was unable to compete alongside Venus in their first-round doubles match against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. In a statement on social media, Williams said: "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. I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn't ready to compete."
Anticipated Reunion
The Williams sisters, aged 44 and 46, were set to compete together for the first time since the 2022 US Open and their first Wimbledon doubles appearance since winning the title in 2016. They are one of the greatest doubles teams of all time, with six Wimbledon titles and 14 grand slam doubles titles overall.
Return to Competition
Serena Williams returned to tennis four years after her official retirement at the 2022 US Open, playing doubles at Queen's Club and in Berlin. Wimbledon left its final singles wildcard available for her until the last moment, with Williams confirming her entry a day before the deadline. Her body reacted badly to the intensity of top-level singles after such a long absence.
Uncertainty and Final Farewell
After her singles loss, Williams confirmed a knee issue and did not train on-site for five days. The tournament organisers pushed their rules to accommodate the sisters, but by Friday, every women's doubles first-round match except theirs had been completed. On Saturday, their match was listed as TBA with a time slot of not before 4.30pm. Britain's Samantha Murray Sharan and Thailand's Lanlana Tararudee have replaced them in the draw. Venus had been scheduled to train at 2.30pm and Serena at 4pm, but Serena's emotional salute to the Centre Court crowd after her singles loss on Monday marked her final appearance on Wimbledon's grass this year and possibly in her career.
