‘Heartbroken’ Serena Williams pulls out of Wimbledon but tells fans ‘stay tuned’
Serena Williams’ Wimbledon comeback has been brought to a premature end.
The 23-time grand slam champion injured her right knee in her first singles match in four years against Maya Joint.
The 20-year-old beat Williams in an epic, back-and-forth battle 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3.
Williams felt her knee towards the end of the first set of the Centre Court return, but played through the pain.
The tennis legend has confirmed she will be unable to compete in the doubles with her sister, Venus Williams.
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” Williams posted on Instagram – alongside photos of her knee in bandage and getting scanned.
“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 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.”
The Williams sisters have won six SW19 doubles titles, and they were scheduled to play the South American duo Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.
Sierra and Osorio will now play alternates Samantha Murray Sharan and Lanlana Tararudee
It would have been the first time the Williams sisters have shared the court in a Grand Slam event since 2022.
The wildcard pair, who have a combined age of 90 may decide to reunite at the US Open in New York, but health will be the main factor in that possibility.
Looking to add an eighth trophy to her cabinet in 2021, her opening-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich came to a sudden end when she suffered a hamstring injury after slipping on the rain-slicked Centre Court.
A tearful Williams was forced to retire just six games into the first set, leaving the court to a resounding standing ovation.
After recovering from the 2021 setback, she would return to the grass in 2022 drawing unseeded French player Harmony Tan in the opening round.
Under the Centre Court lights, the pair fought through an epic three-set battle before Williams fell in a final-set tiebreak.
Ultimately, this latest injury adds another bittersweet chapter to the twilight of a historic career.
Whether the Williams sisters get their reunion at Flushing Meadows later this summer remains to be seen.
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