LONDON — A minor knee injury left Serena Williams’s participation in the women’s doubles at Wimbledon in doubt, where she is entered alongside her sister Venus Williams.
The same injury was cited as the reason the North American player did not attend the post-match press conference following her first-round defeat at the All England Club, allowing her to avoid a fine that can reach 50,000 dollars.
“Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams,” said her agent Jill Smoller.
“She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week,” the representative said.
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On Tuesday evening, after falling in three sets to Australian Maya Joint on Centre Court, the tournament staff announced that Williams would not attend the mandatory press conference that players are required to hold after their matches.
Without giving any reason for her absence, accredited media received a message containing a statement attributed to the former world number one: “It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”
Skipping the press conference drew several negative reactions on social media, as well as opinion pieces in various outlets. Adding to the backlash was fan displeasure over her cold handshake at the net with Joint, the match winner.
Her coach and friend, Australian Rennae Stubbs, posted a message on Twitter in response to the criticism:
“The hate and lack of empathy in this world is astounding to me. Especially when you have no idea what you’re talking about. Just blows my mind,” Stubbs said.
