Serena Williams' highly anticipated doubles reunion with sister Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2026 has been postponed after the 23-time Grand Slam champion withdrew from the event due to a knee injury.
The 44-year-old American announced her decision in an emotional Instagram post on Saturday, saying she was "heartbroken" to pull out despite making every effort to recover in time. Serena suffered the injury during her first-round singles match against Australia's Maya Joint and was unable to regain full fitness for the doubles competition.
"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 had received a wildcard entry and were set to play their first Grand Slam doubles tournament together since the 2022 US Open. Owners of 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six Wimbledon championships, their reunion had been one of the most eagerly awaited storylines of this year's tournament.
Serena's withdrawal comes shortly after her return to Grand Slam singles competition for the first time in nearly four years. Although she exited in the opening round, the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion pushed 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in a hard-fought three-set match before losing 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 on Centre Court. The performance offered glimpses of the form that made her one of tennis' all-time greats.
In her Instagram post, Serena also revealed the seriousness of the injury by sharing a photograph 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.
She thanked tournament director Jamie Baker and the Wimbledon organisers for giving her every opportunity to recover, while also expressing appreciation to the fans who supported her return. Serena ended her message on an optimistic note, writing, "All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you," hinting that her comeback may continue.
