London [UK], July 4 (ANI): 44-year-old tennis icon Serena Williams announced that she will be withdrawing from her much-anticipated Wimbledon doubles competition return with her sister Venus Williams due to knee issues.
The official Instagram handle of Wimbledon made the announcement. Serena suffered a defeat to Maya Joint in her much-anticipated Wimbledon singles’ return after a four-year absence, following an epic Centre Court battle.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who recently announced her comeback at the age of 44, showed moments of brilliance against the 20-year-old Australian and saved a match point in the second set to force a decider. However, she eventually ran out of steam, going down 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3. In her Instagram post reflecting on the loss and her return, she had revealed tweaking her knee during the match.
That injury seems to have taken its toll, as Serena’s announcement read, “I am heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles.
“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,” she said.
The wildcard entry in singles competition marked Williams’ first appearance in the women’s singles draw at Wimbledon in four years and came shortly after she had already secured a return to the Championships through a doubles wildcard alongside her sister, Venus Williams.
The 44-year-old, regarded as one of the greatest players in tennis history, stepped away from professional tennis following the 2022 US Open. However, she returned to competitive action earlier in June at Queen’s Club, where she partnered rising star Victoria Mboko in doubles competition.
The pair won their opening-round match, but Mboko was later forced to withdraw from the tournament because of injury. The injury will also prevent the Canadian youngster from participating in Wimbledon.
Meanwhile, Venus Williams, who made her comeback to the tour last July after a 16-month break, is currently ranked No. 119 in doubles. Her best result since returning came at last year’s US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals partnering Leylah Fernandez. (ANI)
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