Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Wimbledon Open doubles tournament after a knee injury ruled her out of the contest, ending plans for a highly anticipated Grand Slam reunion with her sister Venus Williams.
The American sisters had been scheduled to face Colombia's Camila Osorio and Argentina's Solana Sierra on Saturday in what would have been their first appearance together in a Grand Slam doubles event since 2022.
However, a knee injury Serena sustained during her three-set singles defeat to Australia's Maya Joint on Tuesday has ended those plans.
Announcing her withdrawal in an Instagram post, Serena said she had done everything possible to recover in time for the match but was ultimately unable to compete because of the injury.
"I'm heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus Williams 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,” she said.
Referencing pictures she shared on the social media platform, the 44-year-old also revealed that fluid had since been drained from her knee, adding that doctors do not expect severe swelling to return.
"The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match. 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," she said.
The sisters' return had been one of the most anticipated developments at this year's championships. Serena and Venus have won six Wimbledon doubles titles together and were set to reunite at a Grand Slam for the first time in three years.
In her statement, Williams also thanked fans for their support following her return to competitive tennis at Wimbledon, nearly four years after stepping away from the sport. She ended the post by hinting that she could be back on court soon,
"All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you,” she said.
Following Wimbledon, the ATP Tour moves to the US Open, where the six-time champion could make her next appearance.
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