EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSerena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, has withdrawn from doubles competition at Wimbledon due to a knee injury, she announced Saturday in a post on social media.Williams, 44, injured her right knee during the first set of her singles match of Tuesday's three-set loss to Maya Joint, but remained hopeful to play in the doubles competition alongside older sister Venus."I'm heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles," Williams wrote on Instagram. "Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams 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."Serena Williams' post was accompanied by a video showing her favoring the right leg, which had a large wrap on it. It also contained images of four syringes that she said "shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match."While Williams return to competitive play for the first time in nearly four years was short lived, she indicated there's more to come."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..."Williams' singles return set Wimbledon viewing ratings with an average of 1.8 million viewers on ESPN, helping make it the network's biggest audience for a Day 2 at the grass-court Grand Slam.
