Serena 'heartbroken' after injury forces her out of Wimbledon

Venus Williams first encountered a problem serving in the fifth game, and a medical timeout merely delayed the inevitable. Peter Van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

Serena Williams 'heartbroken' after injury forces her out of Wimbledon

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 6/29/21

Serena Williams remains one Grand Slam title behind Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 after the 39-year-old was forced to retire from Tuesday's first-round Wimbledon match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich because of an injury she suffered when she slipped in the first set.

Williams addressed the setback via an Instagram post and admitted she was "heartbroken" to be out of the tournament so quickly:

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A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

As D'Arcy Maine noted for ESPN, Williams first encountered a problem serving in the fifth game, and a medical timeout merely delayed the inevitable. After the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion dropped to her knees in pain during her attempt to continue, she tearfully acknowledged the crowd and then exited.

Williams did not speak with reporters immediately following the match. Per Seamus Fagan of CNN, it's her first-ever first-round loss at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Williams previously confirmed she isn't playing at the Tokyo Olympics, and her status for this summer's U.S. Open is obviously in question following Tuesday's events.

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