Serena Williams suffers knee problems, Wimbledon doubles match with Venus Williams uncertain

Tennis star Serena Williams is back playing professional tennis, but is age finally catching up to her? The 44-year-old made her return to the Grand Slam stage after a hiatus, with Wimbledon on Tuesday.

The player had a shock first-round defeat to youngster Maya Joint (6-3, 6-7, 6-3) after a knee problem threw her off the track. Serena is set to make her doubles appearance with sister Venus Williams amidst doubts about her fitness.

Serena Williams' Wimbledon return marred by knee issue

Tennis sisters Serena and Venus Williams were given a wildcard entry to compete in the women's doubles category at Wimbledon 2026. However, their iconic return is now in jeopardy.

During her first professional tennis match since 2022, Serena hurt her knee and crashed out from the first round at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Following her defeat to Australia's Maya Joint, the 23-time Grand Slam Champion made sure to share how special the day was despite the loss.

"It felt so good to be back on the grass at @wimbledon. I’m incredibly thankful for the wild card - and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it’s never too late to chase something you love", Serena wrote.

Opening up about the hiccup, she added, "I tweaked my knee late in the first set, but I’ll be doing everything I can to be ready for doubles with @venuswilliams".

Serena-Venus Wimbledon appearance continues to hang in the balance

As per Serena Williams' agent, Jill Smoller, the issue with her knee happened towards the end of the first set and currently she is being assessed and monitored by the able medical teams. The tennis player had not appeared before the media after Tuesday's match either due to the situation.

For Serena and 46-year-old Venus, a return to the Grand Slam stage at this age itself is a win. The sisters have won six women's doubles titles at Wimbledon together. Fans would still love to see the duo in action for the first doubles match together in four years. If all goes well, they will face Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra in the first round.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.