Serena Williams’ much-awaited 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 event due to a knee injury.

The 44-year-old American announced the decision in an emotional Instagram post on Saturday, saying he was heartbroken to be ruled out despite making every effort to recover in time. Serena suffered an injury during her first-round singles match against Australia’s Maya Joyce and was unable to prepare her knee for the doubles.

Serena wrote, “I am very sad to withdraw from doubles. It is a gift to come back to compete again, and the opportunity to play with Venus Williams once again means a lot to me. I did everything possible to prepare, but unfortunately my knee is not ready to compete.”

The Williams sisters, who received 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.

Emotional comeback from knee injury ends

Serena withdrew just days after returning to Grand Slam singles competition for the first time in nearly four years. Although she lost in the opening round, the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion overcame 20-year-old Australian Maya Joyce. Before losing 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 in a thrilling match on Center Court.. The performance reflected the talent that has made Serena one of the greatest players in tennis history, even if the outcome did not go her way.

Serena revealed the severity of the injury in her Instagram post, sharing a photo of the syringe used to drain fluid from her knee after the singles match.

She said, “The picture of the syringe shows the fluid that they took out of my knee after my singles match… Oh! The good news is that my knee shouldn’t swell or accumulate that much fluid again. The bad news is that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it ready for doubles.”

Serena thanked tournament director Jamie Baker and Wimbledon organizers for giving her every opportunity to recover, and also thanked the fans who made her return special. She signed off with a hopeful message: “All I can say is stay connected with a city near you,” hinting that her latest comeback isn’t over yet.

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