Serena Williams, 44, withdrew from the Wimbledon 2026 doubles competition due to a swollen right knee sustained during her opening-round singles match on June 30 against Australia's Maya Joint in London [1, 2, 3]. Williams retired from her singles match with a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 loss after twisting her knee near the end of the first set [1, 3, 4]. Her injury forced her to miss mandatory post-match media obligations, though no fine was imposed [2, 3, 4].
Williams had been given a wildcard to compete in doubles alongside her older sister Venus Williams, 46, with the pair scheduled to face Camila Osorio of Colombia and Argentina's Solana Sierra in the doubles opening round [1, 5, 6]. The Williams sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including six Wimbledon titles, their last in 2016 [1, 6]. Following the injury, the doubles match was rescheduled from Thursday or Friday to Saturday to give Serena extra recovery time [1, 7, 8].
On or before July 4, Serena announced she would withdraw because her knee was not ready to compete, ending the sisters' doubles campaign [5, 9, 6]. "I'm heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus once more meant the world to me," Williams said [1]. She also thanked tournament officials and fans "for making this comeback so meaningful" and promised to return soon [1]. After the withdrawal, their spot was filled by Samantha Murray Sharan and Lanlana Tararudee [10].
Serena shared images on social media showing syringes used to drain fluid from her knee after the singles match, noting: "The good news is that my knee shouldn’t swell or collect that much fluid again. The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I wasn’t able to be ready for doubles" [6]. Williams had not played competitive singles since the 2022 US Open before this Wimbledon return [3, 4].
Her doubles warm-up partnerships with Victoria Mboko and Karolina Muchova ended early due to injuries or losses [3, 5]. Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their two daughters were present during her singles match [11, 12]. Andy Roddick commented that Serena was "a little banged up in the knee," and praised the tournament for allowing extra recovery time [7].
Williams said it was "really great to be back at Wimbledon" and that she "definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything" [10]. With her withdrawal confirmed on or before July 4, Venus Williams also pulled out from the doubles event [1, 5]. The tournament continues without the Williams sisters in doubles this year [10].
