Tennis icon Serena Williams has been torched by fans after pulling out of Wimbledon with a knee injury that ruined her plan to play doubles with sister Venus.
‘I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. 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 but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete,’ Williams said in a post on Instagram.
The 44-year-old included photos of her receiving treatment and four syringes filled with yellow fluid she said had to be drained from her knee.
But that didn’t cut it with many tennis fans who accused Williams of returning to the All England Club to stage a publicity stunt while taking a wildcard entry away from a younger, more deserving player.
‘We all knew this [would happen]. You did too. Your ego took a place from a hardworking, deserving pro,’ one wrote on X.
Another responded to the tournament’s official X account posting ‘It was a pleasure welcoming you back, Serena’ by writing, ‘It wasn’t. Wimbledon, you have been mugged. Awful decision to have them [the Williams sisters] back.’
Serena Williams is pictured waving goodbye to the crowd after her first-round singles loss at Wimbledon after suffering the knee injury that forced her withdrawal from the tournament
The 44-year-old revealed the knee complaint on Instagram (pictured) as she pulled out of playing doubles with her sister Venus
Williams posted photos of syringes filled with a large amount of fluid that had to be drained from her knee (pictured) – but that didn’t cut it for many tennis fans, who said she should never have been given a wildcard entry in the first place
‘Do NOT allow her to play next year without qualifying. @Wimbledon does not need any further displays of her lack of sportsmanship and common courtesies,’ said a third.
‘Yeah Serena, don’t let the door hit you on the way out,’ added another.
‘If Wimbledon officials bent over backwards any more to accommodate Serena, they would qualify for the World Gymnastics championships,’ a fifth fan wrote.
More commenters claimed, without any evidence, that Williams’ injury was related to her use of the weight-loss drug Zepbound, and accused tournament organisers of ‘manipulating’ the schedule in her favour.
Other fans left comments like ‘She wasted everybody’s time’; ‘It was strictly PR for her and it backfired’; ‘Predictable farce’; ‘Just stay retired instead of embarrassing yourself’; and ‘End this pantomime’.
However, Williams was also supported by some commenters who backed her for returning to the court for the first time in four years so her children could watch her play in person.
Others applauded her for attempting the comeback and said she has ‘nothing to prove’.
The latest round of criticism comes after the winner of seven Wimbledon singles titles was also blasted online for skipping the mandatory media conference after her first-round loss to Australia’s Maya Joint.
Many of the tennis icon’s critics thought her return to the All England Club was a publicity stunt, while others backed her for coming back so her children could see her play
Pictured: A sample of the criticism the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion was hit with online after revealing the seriousness of her injury
Her agent has now explained that she did not attend due to the knee injury that resulted in her withdrawal.
The Williams sisters did not appear on the order of play for Friday, which was the last day of the first round of the women’s doubles.
The All England Club schedulers had pushed them to the late slot on Saturday, giving Serena as much time as possible to be fit. Serena was due to practice at 4pm, but at 3.45pm, her Instagram post landed.
When it emerged that Williams had skipped her press conference, commentator Pav Gill reacted with a series of posts on X that read, ‘Rules are rules… unless you are Serena Williams.
‘Serena wouldn’t have even stepped onto the court if she thought she couldn’t win. I think she’s hurt by her performance and that’s the real reason she’s missed the post-match conference.
‘Williams has been looking good in practice but you simply can’t compare practice to matches.
‘I’m sorry but the arrogance of Serena is something else.’
Gill’s fellow commentator Simon Cambers was also shocked by Williams’ refusal.
‘Impressed at how hard @serenawilliams fought tonight. Not impressed that she refused to do her obligatory media conference,’ he wrote.
‘Having been given a wildcard by @Wimbledon, that’s not on.’
