Serena Williams’ return to Wimbledon appears to have ended much sooner than expected. Williams suffered a knee injury in her first-round singles loss to Maya Joynt, which jeopardized her doubles match with her sister Venus.
That doubles match was thought to be scheduled for Thursday, but when Wimbledon released its schedule for that day, the Williams sisters’ match was not included. The same thing happened on Friday.
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As questions swirl about Serena’s availability, tournament director Jamie Baker confirmed that Wimbledon is trying to give the legend enough time to recover so she can take to the court with her sister, according to the Telegraph.
“We’re giving her as much time as possible (to get ready). Of course we want her to play if possible. As far as days, that’s the guideline. That’s what we’re hoping for as we aim to finish the tournament.”
“In reality, exceptional circumstances sometimes arise, such as weather or injuries. Also, players playing in two or three events may clash. It doesn’t happen too often, but sometimes the odd match can carry over.”
Some may see this as preferential treatment for the Williams sisters, but Baker did not strictly deny it.
“Serena and Venus are huge global stars,” Baker said. “A lot of people want to see them.”
That’s not necessarily surprising, especially considering Serena’s singles loss broke ESPN ratings records.
However, it is unclear how long Wimbledon can continue to postpone matches. The second round of women’s doubles is scheduled to begin on Saturday, which will likely be the last day the Williams sisters will be able to take the court and remain in the tournament. If Serena is unable to play on Saturday, the Williams sisters may be forced to lose their first match at Wimbledon with a bye. It will be a disappointing outcome for Serena, but one that is expected given her injury.
Williams’ return to Wimbledon has been highly anticipated since she announced her return to tennis in June. Williams, 44, competed in both the HSBC Championship and the Berlin Open in preparation for her return to Wimbledon. Although her singles match at Wimbledon didn’t go particularly well, Williams’ doubles match with her sister still offered hope for their miraculous run.
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If Williams is unable to recover in time for Saturday’s match, her return to Wimbledon may already be over.
