Serena Williams and Venus Williams will open Wimbledon doubles on Saturday after organizers pushed the match back to give Serena time to recover from a right knee injury sustained during her singles loss to Maya Joint.
LONDON — Serena Williams walked into Wimbledon this year with a comeback story already in motion, and a knee problem that suddenly complicated the schedule. Now, the sisters’ first-round doubles match has a new start time.
Serena, 44, and Venus, 46, are scheduled to play their opening-round doubles match on Saturday after organizers moved the match back to give Serena time to deal with the knee issue she sustained during her loss in singles.
Their opponents are Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. The match is the only first-round doubles match still not played at the grass-court tournament. Organizers slotted it for Saturday’s schedule but had not assigned a court. saying only that it will be played after 4:30 p.m. local time (1530 GMT). That timing suggests it will take place on one of Wimbledon’s show courts, once the singles matches have finished.
Serena’s delay traces back to her singles debut at the All England Club. She returned for the first time in four years and lost to Maya Joint in the first round of the singles tournament. During that match, she tweaked her right knee.
Tournament director Jamie Baker acknowledged the doubles match was pushed back because the All England Club wanted to give Serena “as much time” as possible to recover. “We want her to play if she … possibly can,” Baker said earlier Friday.
Venus, for her part, was already on court earlier in the week. She played in the mixed doubles tournament on Friday with Kevin Krawietz, but they lost in straight sets to Tereza Mihalikova and Lloyd Glasspool.
The sisters’ Saturday match will be the first doubles test that was affected so visibly by Serena’s knee, turning what was supposed to be a straightforward start into a waiting game measured by recovery time and the late shift of a show-court slot.
Wimbledon Serena Williams Venus Williams doubles knee injury Jamie Baker Maya Joint Camila Osorio Solana Sierra London
So they just… move it because her knee hurts? Wimbledon really said “nah play later.”
Wait Serena lost in singles and then they push the doubles match? That seems like they should’ve just let her rest instead of making it a whole schedule thing. Also who are these opponents again?
I don’t get it, I thought Serena was like unstoppable?? If she tweaked her knee vs Maya Joint then why is Venus out there already doing mixed doubles like it’s nothing. Feels weird like they’re protecting her for show court or whatever.
They delayed it but only saying after 4:30? That’s such a mess, like people show up for first round doubles and then it’s “after the singles.” I’m guessing it’ll be on TV court because otherwise no one cares. Serena knee comeback… but maybe Wimbledon just didn’t plan the courts right.