Heartbroken Serena Williams opts out of Wimbledon doubles: I did everything I could

Serena Williams’ long-awaited meeting with sister Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2026 will have to wait after the 23-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from the women’s doubles competition with a knee injury.

The 44-year-old American announced the decision in an emotional Instagram post on Saturday, saying she was “heartbroken” to pull out despite doing everything in her power to recover in time. Serena suffered the injury during her first round singles match against Australia’s Maya Joint and was unable to prepare her knee for the doubles match.

“I am heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. It was a gift to be back competing again and the opportunity to play alongside Venus Williams meant the world to me again. I did everything I could to be ready but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete,” Serena wrote.

The Williams sisters, who received a wild card into the tournament, were set to compete in a Grand Slam doubles event together for the first time since the 2022 US Open. The iconic pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six Wimbledon crowns, making their reunion one of the most anticipated stories of this year’s championships.

KNEE INJURY ENDS EMOTIONAL RETURN

Serena stepped down just days after returning to Grand Slam singles action for the first time in nearly four years. Despite bowing out in the opening round, the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion pushed 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint before losing 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 in a spirited match on Center Court. The performance offered glimpses of the brilliance that has made Serena one of the greatest players in tennis history, even if the result did not go her way.

In an Instagram post, Serena revealed the extent of the injury and shared a photo of syringes being used to drain fluid from her knee after a singles match.

“In the photo of the syringes, you can see the fluid that was drained from my knee after my singles match…yikes! The good news is that my knee shouldn’t swell or take up that much fluid. The bad news is that no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get it ready for doubles,” she said.

Serena also thanked tournament director Jamie Baker and Wimbledon organizers for giving her every opportunity to recover, while also expressing gratitude to the fans who made her comeback special. She signed off with a hopeful message: “All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you,” hinting that her latest comeback may not be over yet.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

04 Jul 2026 21:01 IST