Serena Williams injured putting fairytale Wimbledon doubles appearance with Venus in doubt

Serena Williams injured putting fairytale Wimbledon doubles appearance with Venus in doubt Serena Williams' return to singles competition at Wimbledon is already over - and the 23-time Grand Slam champion is now a doubt for her doubles appearance with sister Venus Serena Williams sustained a knee injury during her return to singles competition at Wimbledon, throwing her plans to partner sister Venus in doubles into doubt. The 23-time Grand Slam champion played her first singles match in nearly four years on Centre Court, going down in a tight 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 defeat to Aussie sensation Maya Joint on Tuesday evening. The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion departed before completing her post-match press conference. In her absence, a statement was issued to on-site media, which read: "Unfortunately Serena Williams will not be able to undertake media this evening." Quotes from Williams were subsequently provided on her behalf. She said: "It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here. "The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything." The All England Club has since confirmed that the American superstar, 44, will not face the standard fine of up to £37,000, as players are permitted to skip media commitments owing to injury or illness. They also confirmed details of her knee injury. A statement from Williams' agent, Jill Smoller, released through the club, said: "Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams. She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week." At 44 years of age, Williams made her return to competitive action last month in doubles at Queen's, partnering Victoria Mboko. The pair won their opening match but were forced to withdraw after Mboko picked up an injury during a singles tie. Wimbledon 2026 is just around the corner and Seat Unique has tickets on sale now with VIP access. The former world No. 1 then joined forces with Karolina Muchova in Berlin, where the duo fell at the first hurdle. Williams, however, did not play a singles match until Tuesday evening, when she spent two hours and 22 minutes on court before squandering an early-break lead in the deciding set. Williams and her sister Venus, who have claimed the doubles title at the All England Club on six occasions, are anticipated to play their first-round match on Friday. The pair last lifted the trophy together at Wimbledon a decade ago, though whether the 44-year-old will have recovered sufficiently in time to take to the court remains to be seen.