A knee injury on her singles return has clouded the tennis legend’s reunion with sister Venus at Wimbledon.
Serena Williams’ bid to reunite with her sister Venus on the Wimbledon doubles court is hanging in the balance after she picked up a knee injury during her singles comeback.
The 44 year old, playing her first singles match in nearly four years, fell to Australian teenager Maya Joint on Tuesday in a hard fought three set battle on Centre Court. The scoreline read 6/3, 6/7, 6/3 after two hours and 22 minutes, and Williams showed no visible signs of discomfort throughout. That made Wednesday’s revelation something of a surprise.
A knee problem surfaces late
Williams’ longtime agent, Jill Smoller, confirmed in a statement that the American picked up the issue late in the opening set. Smoller said the knee concern was serious enough that tournament and WTA medical staff excused Williams from her mandatory postmatch news conference, a decision that also spared her a possible fine. She reportedly left the grounds that evening under her own steam and has since been working to be ready for doubles play later in the week.
Media duties skipped without penalty
Under grand slam rules, players who skip press conferences can face fines running into the tens of thousands of dollars unless they have a legitimate medical excuse. Williams instead issued a brief written statement praising the atmosphere of her return and admitting she never expected to find herself back on that stage. Tournament organizers have not commented publicly on the injury, but the medical exemption appears to have settled any question of punishment.
Sisters chasing more history
If her knee holds up, Williams is due to partner Venus in the first round of the women’s doubles against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. The sisters received a wild card into the event and have not played doubles together at Wimbledon since claiming their sixth title there in 2016. Venus, 46, practiced alone on Wednesday while Serena was absent from the practice schedule altogether, a sign that caution is guiding her preparation.
Comeback built on family, not trophies
Williams walked away from professional tennis in 2022 after that year’s US Open, and her return to a slam draw carried little of the pressure that once defined her career. She has spoken openly about wanting her two daughters to see her compete rather than chasing another Grand Slam singles title. That mindset was echoed at Queen’s Club last month, when she made clear she has nothing left to prove and nothing to lose by simply enjoying the moment.
Before landing the wild card for Wimbledon, Williams eased back into competition with doubles appearances alongside Victoria Mboko and Karolina Muchova, a low key runway back to the tour. Her singles defeat to Joint, ranked well outside the world’s elite only a few years ago, showed flashes of the power and competitiveness that once made Williams the most dominant player in the sport, even in defeat.
Whether that comeback stretches into doubles this week now depends on how her knee responds over the next 48 hours. A withdrawal would end the reunion with Venus before it begins, while a green light would put the pair back on a Wimbledon court together for the first time in a decade, chasing one more piece of history in a rivalry with the record books that has already produced more chapters than nearly anyone in the sport’s history.
