Serena Williams withdraws from Wimbledon doubles with knee injury

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The Williams’ sisters’ return to competitive tennis as a duo is over before it started.

In their first Grand Slam doubles competition together in nearly four years, Serena, 44, and Venus were forced to withdraw from the Wimbledon doubles after the younger Serena’s knee injury.

Serena was injured during her singles return earlier in the week — in a three-set loss.

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Serena Williams and Venus Williams of the United States during their Women’s Doubles match on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic during the US Open Tennis Championship 2022 at the USTA National Tennis Centre on Sept. 1, 2022 in Flushing, Queens, New York City. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

“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. I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete,” Serena said in an Instagram post.

The post included images of four syringes that Serena said “shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match.” An accompanying video showed her walking with strapping up and down her right leg and what appeared to be one of her daughters holding a cane for her.

However, with the U.S. Open approaching, Serena indicated she could play again somewhere else soon.

“All I can say,” Serena said, “is stay tuned to a city near you.”

Serena Williams, left, meets her sister Venus Williams after their match during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, in Flushing, N.Y., Aug. 31, 2018.

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The Williams sisters — Venus is 46 — were scheduled to play Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. It was the only first-round doubles match that wasn’t scheduled earlier in the week, having been pushed back to give Serena more time to recover.

Serena was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia on Tuesday in her major return.

The Williams sisters are six-time champions as partners in women’s doubles at Wimbledon. It was the first time they teamed up at Wimbledon since winning it in 2016. It was also the first time they had teamed up since the 2022 U.S. Open, which they lost in the first round.