New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) Serena Williams and Venus Williams have withdrawn from the doubles draw at The Wimbledon after Serena was forced to pull out because of a knee injury, ending hopes of a long-awaited reunion between the iconic sisters at the All England Club.

Serena announced her decision on Instagram on Saturday, stating that her knee had not healed enough after the injury from her first-round singles match earlier in the week.

“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” Serena wrote on Instagram. “Coming back to compete has been a gift. The chance to play alongside Venus again meant everything to me. I did everything I could, but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.”

This news comes four days after Serena hurt her knee late in the first set of her first singles match in nearly four years. She lost a tough match to Maya Joint, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3, in her long-awaited return to Grand Slam singles competition.

The Williams sisters, who have won six Wimbledon doubles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, received a wild card into the doubles draw. They were set to face Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in the first round on Saturday.

This match would have been the first doubles game for Serena and Venus since the US Open in 2022, which was also Serena’s last singles match before her comeback this season.

Before Wimbledon, Serena had gradually rejoined the tour by playing doubles with Victoria Mboko at the Queen’s Club Championships and with Karolina Muchova in Berlin.

Although the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion did not say when she expects to return, she suggested that fans might not have to wait long.

“All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you.”

Venus, on the other hand, is still set to compete at the Washington Open and the Canadian Open after her mixed doubles run at Wimbledon ended on Friday.

–IANS

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