Tennis icon Serena Williams’ long-awaited comeback to the court at Wimbledon has hit an unexpected setback, with a knee injury sustained during her first singles singles match in almost four years putting her highly anticipated doubles reunion with sister Venus in serious jeopardy. The 44-year-old American legend, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, returned to Centre Court on Tuesday after 1,462 days away from the All England Club, drawing massive global attention to what was her first competitive singles outing since she stepped back from the sport in 2022. Her planned Friday doubles match with Venus, where the pair are six-time Wimbledon champions and set to play their first Grand Slam together since 2022, now hangs in the balance after Serena’s right knee swelled up during her three-set defeat to 20-year-old Australian rising star Maya Joint.
The injury occurred late in the first set, when Serena tweaked her knee. Despite medical advice to withdraw from the match, sources confirmed to BBC Sport that the fiercely competitive champion refused to exit, pushing through the pain to take the match to a deciding third set. She received no in-match treatment, and observers noted her slowed movement and uncertain footwork throughout the decider. After the match, medical staff offered crutches to assist her walking, an offer she declined, and she left the venue unassisted that same night. She did not speak to reporters post-match, with Wimbledon officials confirming the medical teams from the tournament and the WTA excused her from mandatory media obligations due to the injury.
In a post on her official Instagram following the match, Serena opened up about her emotions around her return, saying it felt incredible to be back on the court she has dominated for decades. “It felt so good to be back. I’m incredibly thankful for the wildcard – and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it’s never too late to chase something you love,” she wrote. She confirmed the knee tweak but stressed she is taking every possible step to be fit enough to compete alongside Venus on Friday. She also offered a public congratulations to Joint on her victory, and thanked fans for the overwhelming outpouring of support.
This comeback marks a full-circle moment for Serena, who played what she expected would be the final match of her professional career at the 2022 US Open. Notably, she avoided calling the move a retirement, instead saying she was “evolving away” from tennis, leaving the door open for a potential return that has now materialized at the tournament where she has enjoyed some of her greatest success: seven singles titles and six women’s doubles titles at the All England Club.
Against Joint, the veteran champion showed flashes of the unparalleled talent that made her one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, and was within touching distance of a sensational comeback victory before the younger Australian held firm to seal a 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 win. Her decision to push through the injury to finish the match was characteristic of her legendary competitive drive, which has been defined by her famous quote that she hates losing more than she loves winning. That grit, however, may now cost her the chance to share the court with her sister this week.
While Serena has not officially ruled herself out of Friday’s doubles draw, multiple indicators suggest the odds of the iconic pair sharing the Centre Court once again are heavily stacked against them. Missing the doubles match would mark a deeply disappointing end to a comeback that has dominated headlines at SW19 over the past week, with fans and analysts alike captivated by the story of the 44-year-old’s return to the sport she revolutionized. Williams’ camp has reaffirmed that she is doing everything in her power to get fit in time, leaving the tennis world waiting to see if she can pull off one more magical moment at Wimbledon.