Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Wimbledon 2026 doubles competition alongside her sister Venus after sustaining a knee injury in her opening singles match.
The 44-year-old American shared the news on social media, including a video of her limping with strapping on her right leg and photos of large syringes draining fluid from her knee.
Serena Williams’ emotional instagram post
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams once more meant the world to me,” Serena wrote on Instagram.
She continued with details about her condition: “I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete. The photo of the syringes is the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match – yikes! The good news is that my knee shouldn’t swell or collect that much fluid again. The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I wasn’t able to be ready for doubles.”
First round singles defeat brings comeback to early close
Serena Williams’ highly anticipated return to Grand Slam tennis after four years away ended in a 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 defeat to young Australian Maya Joint on Tuesday. She had tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set but vowed to do everything possible to be ready for doubles. The Williams sisters had received a wildcard and were drawn against Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in the opening round. The loss came after a competitive battle in which Serena showed glimpses of her old form despite the injury concern.
Legendary status of the Williams sisters in doubles
The Williams sisters have secured six doubles titles at the All England Club throughout their illustrious careers. The duo’s success and the emotional story of two sisters dominating the sport have made them icons in women’s tennis. Their partnership has been one of the highlights of the tournament for fans over the years, and their absence will be felt in the draw this time around.
Gratitude expressed to organizers and supporters
Serena took time to thank those who helped her prepare. “I’m especially grateful to tournament director Jamie Baker and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to recover,” she said.
She also addressed the fans directly: “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…”
Injury-plagued recent doubles comeback attempts
Serena Williams’ efforts to return to doubles have faced repeated setbacks from injuries. She partnered with Victoria Mboko at the Queen’s Club event last month, but that campaign ended early when Mboko suffered a knee injury in singles. She then teamed with Karolina Muchova in Berlin, only to lose in the first match. These matches were part of Serena’s gradual return to competitive play following her long break from the sport.
The knee injury has now forced Serena out of Wimbledon doubles before she could step on court with her sister.