Serena Williams Pulls Out of Wimbledon Doubles With Knee Issue

Serena Williams Wimbledon has come to a close. That means her sister Venus is done as well.

The pair were forced to pull out of the women’s doubles draw on Saturday, with Serena announcing the news on Instagram.

“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” she said. “Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus 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.”

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Williams left the door slightly open for a return to the court this summer, or at least some time in the future.

“I’m especially grateful to tournament director, Jamie Baker, and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to play here. Thank you to the fans for your incredible support and for making this comeback so meaningful…All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you…”

Williams explained the photos of syringes, detailing that her knee has been drained.

“The photo of the syringes shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match…yikes!” she wrote. “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.”

The Williams sisters entered this Wimbledon with high hopes, but they leave without a victory, as Venus, paired with Kevin Kraweitz in mixed doubles, lost in the first round to Lloyd Glasspool and Tereza Mihalikova, 6-4, 6-4.