Saturday at Wimbledon brought some of the most dramatic storylines of the fortnight. Serena Williams, whose return to competitive tennis after four years in retirement had captivated the sporting world, announced her withdrawal from the doubles draw due to a knee injury sustained during her first-round singles loss to Australia’s Maya Joint.
“I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles,” the 44-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam champion said on Instagram. She and sister Venus, six-time Wimbledon doubles champions, had been given a wild card and were scheduled to play their opener on Saturday. The news brought a bittersweet end to what had been a fairytale comeback attempt.
On the singles courts, the upsets continued. World number one Iga Swiatek and former champion Elena Rybakina both crashed out on day six, blowing the women’s draw wide open. Meanwhile, British qualifier Henry Fery was fighting his way into a deciding set, giving the home crowd something to cheer about.
