"I was heartbroken" - Serena Williams on having her quest for a 24th Grand Slam halted due to injury
WTA
Serena Williams' Wimbledon campaign came to an abrupt end on Tuesday afternoon, as the American was forced to retire in her first round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich due to an ankle injury.
The sixth seed suffered a bad landing on her left ankle, after which she requested a medical timeout. Despite a valiant attempt to power through the pain, the 39-year old was unable to continue and retired with the score tied at 3-3 in the first set.
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"I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg," Williams revealed in an Instagram post later that night.
"My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on Centre Court so meaningful. Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on – and off – the court meant the world to me."
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The seven-time Wimbledon champion was hoping to add another Major trophy to her cabinet, increasing her already imposing total to 24 Grand Slam titles. Prior to Tuesday's retirement, Williams held an impressive 19-0 record in the first round of Wimbledon. This was just her second career retirement in a Grand Slam match, dating back to her first against Virginia Ruano Pascual in the third round of Wimbledon in 1998.
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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mandoist12-11-2026 - Tell this to Andreeva!
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mandoist12-11-2026 - I predicted whenthe list was finalised that Linda Noskova would win the WTA Finals and her matches against Gauff and Kostyuk prove that. She is the best (underrated) player in the world!Rapunzel11-11-2026
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mandoist09-11-2026 - Ironically, Martina became a U.S. Citizen about the same time as the Orange Convicted Felon & Abuser was just beginning on his road to losing all Daddy's Millions!!
mandoist09-11-2026 - "Another fresh start is in the cards." Thanks for the Humor!! I'm guessing this is the minimum one can do to keep all your sponsors hanging-on in perpetuity?
mandoist09-11-2026 - Vukov is doing this to Lena... AGAIN!!!!! WTA's autonomous collective should be dismantled for allowing Vukov to re-emerge from his hand-slapping suspension. Just ask WTA employees how that's been going lately as they witness his continued verbal abuses. Women's Pro Tennis should start over.
mandoist08-11-2026 - Can't help but suspect Vukov is back to his old self again. Thank you, WTA. Perhaps you can give them a "Battling Couple of the Year Award 2026" ??
mandoist08-11-2026









