Heartbroken Serena Williams opts out of Wimbledon doubles: Did everything I could
Serena Williams has withdrawn from Wimbledon 2026 women's doubles, ending her planned reunion with Venus Williams. The knee injury has cut short a closely watched comeback, though Serena suggested it may not be her last appearance.
Serena Williams' much-anticipated reunion with sister Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2026 will have to wait after the 23-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from the women's doubles competition because of a knee injury.
The 44-year-old American announced the decision in an emotional Instagram post on Saturday, saying she was "heartbroken" to pull out despite doing everything possible to recover in time. Serena had sustained the injury during her first-round singles match against Australia's Maya Joint and was unable to get her knee ready for doubles.
"I'm heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus Williams 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," Serena wrote.
The Williams sisters, who received a wildcard entry into the tournament, were set to make their first Grand Slam doubles appearance together since the 2022 US Open. The iconic pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six Wimbledon crowns, making their reunion one of the most anticipated storylines of this year's Championships.
KNEE INJURY ENDS EMOTIONAL COMEBACK
Serena's withdrawal comes just days after her return to Grand Slam singles competition for the first time in nearly four years. Although she bowed out in the opening round, the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion pushed 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint before losing 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 in a spirited contest on Centre Court. The performance offered flashes of the brilliance that made Serena one of the greatest players in tennis history, even if the result did not go her way.
In her Instagram post, Serena revealed the extent of the injury, sharing a photo of syringes used to drain fluid from her knee after the singles match.
"The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match... yikes! The good news is my knee shouldn't swell or collect that much fluid again. The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I just wasn't able to get it ready for doubles," she said.
Serena also thanked tournament director Jamie Baker and the Wimbledon organisers for giving her every opportunity to recover, while expressing gratitude to the fans who made her comeback special. She signed off with a hopeful message: "All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you," hinting that her latest comeback may not yet be over.
Serena Williams' much-anticipated reunion with sister Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2026 will have to wait after the 23-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from the women's doubles competition because of a knee injury.
The 44-year-old American announced the decision in an emotional Instagram post on Saturday, saying she was "heartbroken" to pull out despite doing everything possible to recover in time. Serena had sustained the injury during her first-round singles match against Australia's Maya Joint and was unable to get her knee ready for doubles.
"I'm heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus Williams 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," Serena wrote.
The Williams sisters, who received a wildcard entry into the tournament, were set to make their first Grand Slam doubles appearance together since the 2022 US Open. The iconic pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six Wimbledon crowns, making their reunion one of the most anticipated storylines of this year's Championships.
KNEE INJURY ENDS EMOTIONAL COMEBACK
Serena's withdrawal comes just days after her return to Grand Slam singles competition for the first time in nearly four years. Although she bowed out in the opening round, the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion pushed 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint before losing 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 in a spirited contest on Centre Court. The performance offered flashes of the brilliance that made Serena one of the greatest players in tennis history, even if the result did not go her way.
In her Instagram post, Serena revealed the extent of the injury, sharing a photo of syringes used to drain fluid from her knee after the singles match.
"The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match... yikes! The good news is my knee shouldn't swell or collect that much fluid again. The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I just wasn't able to get it ready for doubles," she said.
Serena also thanked tournament director Jamie Baker and the Wimbledon organisers for giving her every opportunity to recover, while expressing gratitude to the fans who made her comeback special. She signed off with a hopeful message: "All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you," hinting that her latest comeback may not yet be over.
