Tennis-Serena fighting to be fit for Wimbledon doubles with Venus after knee issue


Jun 30, 2026; London, United Kingdom; Serena Williams (USA) serves against Maya Joint (AUS) (not pictured) on day two of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

LONDON, July ⁠1 (Reuters) - Serena Williams will do everything to be ready for ⁠her Wimbledon doubles campaign alongside older sister Venus after ‌sustaining a knee injury during her opening singles defeat on Tuesday, the American's agent said.

The 44-year-old's highly anticipated comeback to competitive action after four years away ended ​in disappointment after a 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 ⁠defeat to little-known Australian ⁠Maya Joint, and she later skipped her mandatory post-match press conference.

British ⁠media reported ‌the 23-times Grand Slam champion was not fined for her absence because she was injured, with the focus ⁠now shifting to her doubles commitments this week ​after she received ‌a wild card to compete with Venus.

The Williams sisters are ⁠drawn to play ​Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in the opening round.

"Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set (against Joint) and was ⁠excused from her media obligations by the ​Wimbledon and WTA medical teams," Williams' agent Jill Smoller was quoted as saying in the Times newspaper.

"She left site that night unaided and ⁠is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week."

Williams has had a little more time on court in doubles action after partnering Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko at ​the WTA event at Queen's Club last ⁠month. The pair's campaign was cut short after Mboko's knee injury ​in singles action.

Williams then paired up with ‌Czech Karolina Muchova in the Berlin ​Open but the duo went down in their first match.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in London; Editing by Alison Williams)

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