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The 23-time champion injured her ankle at the start of her first-round match on center court; Williams was in tears on the field as she tried to serve at 3-3, then withdrew from the game shortly thereafter and had to be helped off the field.
By Paul Prenderville at Wimbledon
Last update: 06/29/21 8:55 PM
Serena Williams is absent from Wimbledon after injuring her ankle in her first round match
Serena Williams’ bid for a record 24th Grand Slam singles crown ended in tears at Wimbledon as an ankle injury forced her out of her first-round match with Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
The 39-year-old, who has seven Wimbledon singles titles on her glittering resume, broke to lead 3-1 against her Belarusian opponent when she twisted her left ankle badly.
When world number 100 Sasnovich broke her back, Williams – her right thigh already heavily tied up – was forced off the pitch for a medical time out and, as the American returned to center court in an attempt to compete. , tears were evident as she could barely move.
Sasnovich tied the game at 3-3, but another Williams slip left her lying on the ground and, amid hiccups from the crowd, she was helped by the chair umpire to get up and the retreat was been confirmed.
Williams was chasing his 24th Grand Slam title, but had to retreat 3-3 in the first set on center court
Williams’ injury exit followed that of Adrian Mannarino, who was forced to leave the field after a knee injury during his match against Roger Federer.
Brutal for @Serena Williams but the center court is extremely slippery. It’s not easy to move there.
-Andy Murray (@andy_murray) June 29, 2021
Williams has won 23 Grand Slam titles since the 2017 Australian Open, but his last two visits to Wimbledon have resulted in finals.
After losing to Simona Halep in 2019 and Angelique Kerber in 2018, sixth seed Williams arrived with the ambition to finally equalize Margaret Court’s supreme tally, but they were left in tatters.
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