Serena Williams withdrew from her planned doubles match with her sister Venus at Wimbledon due to a right knee injury. Serena, 44, sustained the injury earlier in the week during her comeback in singles matches, resulting in a three-set defeat.

In an Instagram post, Serena expressed her disappointment, stating, ‘I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Returning to compete has been a gift, and playing alongside Venus again meant the world to me. I did everything I could, but my knee isn’t ready to compete.’

The post included images of four syringes, which Serena said showed the fluid drained from her knee after the singles match. A video accompanied the post, showing her walking with her right leg strapped and one of her daughters holding a cane for her.

Despite this setback, Serena hinted at the possibility of competing again soon, especially with the U.S. Open approaching. ‘All I can say,’ Serena remarked, ‘is stay tuned to a city near you.’

The Williams sisters, with Venus being 46, were due to face Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. This was the only first-round doubles match not scheduled earlier, as it was delayed to allow Serena more recovery time.

Earlier in the week, Serena was defeated by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia, with scores of 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3. Meanwhile, Venus participated in the mixed doubles tournament with Kevin Krawietz, suffering a straight-set loss to Tereza Mihalikova and Lloyd Glasspool.

The Williams sisters are six-time champions in women’s doubles at Wimbledon.