LONDON — Serena Williams withdrew from the Wimbledon doubles tournament on Saturday due to a knee injury, ending her return to the All England Club before she could compete alongside her sister Venus Williams.
Williams, 44, announced her withdrawal hours before she and Venus were scheduled to play their first-round doubles match against Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio.
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” Williams said in a post on Instagram.
Williams said she injured her knee during her first-round singles loss to Australia’s Maya Joint on Tuesday. The match marked her first singles appearance since the 2022 U.S. Open after a four-year absence from the sport.
The Williams sisters received a wild-card entry into the doubles draw and were seeking their seventh Wimbledon doubles title together.
In her social media post, Williams said fluid buildup in her knee prevented her from competing.
“Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus once more meant the world to me,” she said.
“I did everything I could to be ready, but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.”
Williams also shared images showing treatment on her knee, including fluid drained after her singles match.
The withdrawal ends Williams’ brief return to competitive tennis. She resumed competition last month at the Queen’s Club tournament, where she played doubles with Canadian player Victoria Mboko. The pair won their opening match before Mboko sustained an injury that ended their run.
Williams later competed in the Berlin doubles tournament with Karolina Muchova before accepting a Wimbledon wild card for singles competition.
She said one of her motivations for returning was the opportunity to play in front of her daughters, Olympia and Adira.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and seven-time Wimbledon singles winner, lost to Joint in three sets on Centre Court.
She did not attend her scheduled post-match press conference following the defeat. Her agent later said the absence was related to the knee injury.
Williams thanked Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker and tournament officials for their support during her comeback.
“I’m especially grateful to tournament director Jamie Baker and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to play here,” she said.
Williams did not indicate when she expects to return to competition but suggested she intends to continue playing.
“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,” she said.
