Serena Williams made an unexpected comeback to singles at Wimbledon, facing an early exit after losing to Maya Joint in the opening round. During the match, she suffered a knee injury. Despite the setback, she attempted to play doubles with her sister, Venus Williams, but had to withdraw due to her condition.
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” Williams, 44, shared on Instagram on July 4. “Returning to competition has been a gift. Playing alongside @venuswilliams once more meant everything. I did all I could to be ready, but my knee isn’t fit for competition.” Her Instagram post included photos of syringes filled with fluid drained from her knee, clearly indicating the severe state of her injury.
Two weeks later, Williams lifted her fans’ spirits by posting a TikTok video, where she appeared in good spirits, dancing, and captioned, “Looks like my knee is getting better. Finally!”
This summer, many believed she planned to use the grass season as preparation for the US Open. Williams last competed at the 2022 US Open in both singles and doubles with Venus before stepping away from tennis for nearly four years.
Her comeback officially began when she partnered with Victoria Mboko in doubles at the HSBC Championships in London’s Queen’s Club in early June. The following week, she teamed up with Karolina Muchova for doubles at the Berlin Tennis Open.
Although the 2026 US Open draw has yet to be announced, it’s clear that Williams’ participation won’t be hindered by her knee injury.