Serena Williams has withdrawn from her planned Wimbledon doubles appearance with older sister Venus due to a knee injury.

The legendary Williams pair, six-time doubles champions at the All England Club, were due to face Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in the opening round on Saturday.

But the 23-time major singles champion suffered an issue with her right knee during Tuesday's singles comeback match against Maya Joint, who triumphed 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3.

Williams, who had come back out of retirement and received a wildcard to play in the singles at SW19, announced her withdrawal via Instagram.

"I'm heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles," she said.

"Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus once more meant the world to me.

"I did everything I could to be ready, but unfortunately, my knee just isn't ready to compete."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

Williams has not confirmed plans for the next stage of her comeback, though after Wimbledon, the season switches to the hard-court swing that culminates at the US Open across August and September.

The 44-year-old is not expected to retire again, suggesting she could soon be competing once more.

"I'm especially grateful to tournament director Jamie Baker and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to play here," she added.

"Thank you to the fans for your incredible support and for making this comeback so meaningful.

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