Serena Williams’ much-anticipated Wimbledon comeback has come to an early end after a knee injury forced the tennis icon to withdraw from the doubles competition she was set to play alongside her sister, Venus.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion sustained the injury during her first-round singles defeat to Australia’s Maya Joint on the opening days of the tournament. Williams, who was making her first appearance at a Grand Slam in nearly four years, fought hard in the marathon encounter, taking the 20-year-old to three sets before falling 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 after more than two hours on Centre Court. Her agent, Jill Smoller, later confirmed that Williams tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set, which was why she skipped her post-match media duties, having been excused by the tournament’s medical team.

Despite the swelling in her knee, the 44-year-old initially remained hopeful of recovering in time to partner Venus in the doubles draw, where the sisters were billed to face Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Argentina’s Solana Sierra. Wimbledon organisers even granted the pair extra time to prepare for the tie as Serena worked to manage the injury. However, she announced on Saturday that her knee simply was not ready, pulling out of the doubles event and bringing her tournament to a close.

Announcing her withdrawal on Instagram, Williams described the decision as heartbreaking, noting how much it meant to have the chance to play alongside her sister again after being away from the sport for so long. She thanked Wimbledon’s tournament director, Jamie Baker, and the wider organising team for giving her every opportunity to compete, while also expressing gratitude to fans for the reception she received throughout her comeback.

Williams’ return to the Grand Slam stage had been widely celebrated, coming just weeks after she announced plans to play again following her last appearance at the 2022 US Open. She had taken part in tune-up events at the HSBC Championships and the Berlin Open in the buildup to Wimbledon, and her first-round singles clash with Joint drew significant attention, becoming one of the most-watched matches of the tournament’s second day. Though her run ended earlier than fans might have hoped, Williams’ performance against a player more than two decades her junior drew praise from several of her peers on the tour, who commended her fitness and competitiveness after such a long layoff.

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