Johannesburg – American tennis legend Serena Williams’ dreams of winning an eighth Wimbledon singles title and equalling Margaret Court’s Grand Slam record of 24 ended in tears on Tuesday as further doubt was cast on her future in the sport reports AFP.
The 39-year-old was leading 3-1 in the first set of her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus when she slipped and injured her right leg.
Williams returned from receiving medical attention but called it a day at 3-3 and walked off Centre Court in tears.
“I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg,” she said in a statement posted late evening on her Instagram account.
Perhaps tellingly, she waved to all four sides of the court as she left.
However, she gave no indication in the statement of how serious the injury was nor about her future.
It is the first time that Williams has bowed out in the opening round of Wimbledon in 20 appearances.
She had only once previously lost in the first round at any Slam, in the 2012 French Open.
The tears said it all as with the withdrawals of 2019 champion Simona Halep and of Naomi Osaka prior to the tournament the American would have fancied her chances of at last equalling the controversial Court’s landmark.
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