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.
The second round of women’s doubles is scheduled to begin on Saturday, and the Williams sisters will finally take to the court. Organizers have not yet announced the time of the match, but confirmed it will be held on Saturday.
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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 the lead-up 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.
Now that the Williams sisters are finally scheduled to play, that scenario is still on the table.
