Tennis fans had circled this one on their calendars for months. Serena Williams and sister Venus, teaming up for a Grand Slam doubles run for the first time in nearly four years, were set to bring a piece of nostalgia back to Centre Court. Instead, the reunion ended before either sister could step onto the grass together, as Serena’s body gave out just days before their scheduled match.
The Williams sisters officially withdrew from the Wimbledon women’s doubles draw after Serena aggravated her knee during her singles return earlier in the week. The 44-year-old tennis icon had already turned heads simply by entering the singles bracket, but the comeback proved costly. She fell in three tightly contested sets to 20-year-old Australian rising star Maya Joint, losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 on Tuesday. That match, as it turns out, was the beginning of the end for her doubles plans with Venus.
Rather than let fans speculate, Serena took to Instagram to explain the situation in her own words, and the post pulled no punches.
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams once more meant the world to me. I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete,” Serena wrote.
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The caption came paired with receipts. Serena shared images of four syringes, revealing they contained fluid drained directly from her knee following the singles loss. A video attached to the post showed her walking gingerly, her right leg wrapped from thigh to calf, while one of her daughters was seen close by holding a cane for support. It was a raw, unfiltered look at the physical toll top-level competition still takes on her body, even decades into her career.
Still, in true Serena fashion, the post wasn’t just about the setback. It was also a tease.
“All I can say,” Serena said, “is stay tuned to a city near you.”
That line alone has fans buzzing, especially with the U.S. Open now looming on the calendar. For a player who has built an entire legacy out of dramatic returns and career-defining moments, the suggestion that she could pop up again soon is enough to keep the conversation going well past this Wimbledon exit.
For Venus, 46, the withdrawal adds another layer of disappointment to a tournament that hasn’t gone her way either. The sisters’ doubles match against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra had actually been pushed back from its original slot, becoming the last first-round doubles match remaining on the schedule specifically to buy Serena more recovery time. In the end, even the extra days weren’t enough to get her knee ready.
The timing stings for fans who had been waiting years for this exact pairing. The last time Serena and Venus teamed up in Grand Slam doubles was at the 2022 U.S. Open, where they were eliminated in the first round. Their history at Wimbledon goes even further back, with their most recent title together on that grass dating all the way back to 2016.
And that history is no small thing. Serena and Venus are far and away one of the most successful doubles duos the sport has ever produced. Together, the sisters have claimed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals, and, remarkably, they have never lost a final. That undefeated finals record is part of what made this comeback attempt feel like such a big deal, even with both sisters well past the primes of their singles careers.
This isn’t the first frustration Serena has voiced during this comeback stretch, either. Ahead of her Wimbledon return, she didn’t hold back when discussing the anti-doping procedures she was required to go through, calling the process “unprofessional.” Combined with the injury and now the withdrawal, it paints a picture of a comeback that’s been anything but smooth, even as Serena continues pushing to compete at the highest level.
For now, the doubles reunion fans wanted will have to wait. Whether that means Serena and Venus reunite again at the U.S. Open, or whether Serena’s next steps take a different shape entirely, remains to be seen. But if her Instagram caption is any indication, this isn’t the last we’ll hear from her this season.
One thing tennis fans can count on: when Serena Williams says stay tuned, it usually means something’s coming.
