Overview
- Serena Williams announced on Instagram that she withdrew from the Wimbledon women's doubles with sister Venus on Saturday after failing to recover from a right knee problem.
- She said the knee was 'tweaked' during her opening‑round singles loss to Maya Joint and shared photos and video showing a heavily bandaged leg and syringes of fluid drained from the joint.
- Wimbledon organisers had delayed the sisters' doubles slot to allow extra recovery time, but Serena’s decision came hours before the scheduled match and the pair were replaced by alternates or lucky losers in the draw.
- The withdrawal follows a brief comeback program that included a Queen's Club doubles win cut short by partner Victoria Mboko's injury and a doubles loss in Berlin, leaving Serena’s immediate return plans open but pointing to the North American hard‑court swing as a likely next target.
- Late pulls from other teams have already reshaped the women's doubles this week, producing walkovers and last‑minute alternates and highlighting how short grass‑court schedules magnify the effect of injuries on draws and players’ plans.