Tennis icon Serena Williams was absent from the post-match press conference following her first-round defeat at Wimbledon on Tuesday, marking her singles return at the age of 44.

Williams faced Australian player Maya Joint, who recently returned from injury and holds no tournament ranking. Despite the seemingly favorable draw, Williams lost in three sets.

Wimbledon issued a statement explaining that Williams “unfortunately will not be able to undertake media this evening,” and shared a statement from Williams herself: “It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”

Jill Smoller, Williams’ agent, told The Times that Williams was excused from media obligations due to a knee injury sustained during the match. “Serena tweaked her knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams,” Smoller said.

The Times reported Wednesday morning that the injury affected Williams’ right knee. This injury casts doubt on her participation in the upcoming doubles match alongside her sister, Venus Williams.

Sources