Serena Williams withdraws from Wimbledon doubles due to knee injury

Serena Williams withdraws from Wimbledon doubles due to knee injury

Serena Williams has withdrawn from the women’s doubles at Wimbledon, ending her comeback attempt at the championships. The 44-year-old, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, announced on Saturday that a knee injury sustained earlier in the week prevented her from competing alongside her sister, Venus.

The injury occurred on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, during Williams' first-round singles match against Australia's Maya Joint on Centre Court. Although Williams pushed the match to three sets, she ultimately fell to Joint, who is 24 years younger than the American. This appearance marked Williams' return to competitive tennis after a nearly four-year layoff since the 2022 US Open, a period she spent focusing on her two daughters, Olympia and Adira.

Following the singles defeat, Williams skipped her scheduled post-match press conference. While regulations allow players to miss these sessions in the event of an injury, the move sparked speculation regarding her fitness. Her agent later confirmed the absence was due to the knee injury.

Williams took to Instagram to share the news of her withdrawal, stating she was heartbroken. She posted footage of herself limping in a heavy bandage and photos of syringes containing fluid that had been drained from her knee after the singles match. In her post, she wrote:

"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."

Serena Williams, via Instagram

Wimbledon officials had attempted to accommodate Williams to ensure the blockbuster fixture could take place. While first-round doubles matches are typically completed on Thursday and Friday of the first week, organizers gave Williams an extra day of recovery, pushing her match back to Saturday. This scheduling adjustment left her slated opponents, Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra, in limbo amid claims that Williams was receiving preferential treatment.

Tournament director Jamie Baker defended the decision on Friday, describing Serena and Venus as global stars. Baker noted that the scheduling of such high-profile players involves a balance of show court availability and security concerns. He praised Williams' performance on Tuesday, stating that considering she had no practice singles matches, she put out an amazing level.

Had the match proceeded, it likely would have been moved from the usual outside courts to a main show court due to fan demand and safety considerations. Because it is now too late for Venus Williams to select a new partner, she will also relinquish her spot in the draw. The pair, who received a wild card entry, will be replaced by a lucky loser.

The sisters share a storied history at the tournament, having won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including six at Wimbledon. Their titles at the All England Club spanned from 2000 to 2016, with their first two wins in 2000 and 2002 occurring as wild cards.

This setback follows a brief and injury-plagued return to the court. Last month, Williams played doubles at Queen’s Club with Victoria Mboko, but that run was cut short by an injury to Mboko. Williams also competed in the Berlin doubles with Karolina Muchova, where she crashed out in the first round.

While her time at Wimbledon has concluded, Williams hinted that her comeback is not over, telling fans to stay tuned to a city near you. However, the injury raises questions about her ability to recover in time for the US Open later this year.