Wimbledon has defended its decision to give Serena Williams as much time as possible to be ready for her highly anticipated doubles match with sister Venus.
The 23-time major champion is fighting to be fit for her opening-round tie after she picked up a knee injury during her singles comeback against Maya Joint earlier this week. The Williams sisters, who have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, including six at Wimbledon, are due to face South American duo Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra in round one after receiving a wild card into the draw. But it is unclear when the match will be scheduled for.
Should Williams withdraw from her doubles tie, it will be too late for Venus, 46, to pick a new partner, so the duo would be replaced by a lucky loser. The situation has left Osorio and Sierra in limbo and risks fuelling claims Williams is getting preferential treatment.
All women’s doubles first-round matches are usually completed on Thursday and Friday of the first week of the Championships, but organisers are planning to schedule the pair’s first-round match on Saturday to allow the 44-year-old the best chance to recover.
“It’s amazing to have Serena back,” said Jamie Baker, the Wimbledon tournament director. “I was on Centre Court for quite a bit on Tuesday and it was a phenomenal atmosphere. Considering she had no practice singles matches, it was an amazing level she put out.
“We are giving her as much time [to be ready]. Obviously we want her to play if she possibly can. In terms of the days, it’s a guideline. That’s what we’re hoping to do based on trying to get the tournament finished.
“There are actually sometimes exceptional circumstances, like weather or injuries, or sometimes conflicts of players playing in two or three events. It doesn’t happen that often but occasionally you do get the odd match that carries over.”
Early-round doubles matches are usually scheduled on one of the outside courts, but should Williams be fit, the pair would almost certainly play on a main showcourt owing to huge fan demand and security concerns. The Williams sisters last played doubles together at the 2022 US Open.
“Serena and Venus are massive global stars,” said Baker. “A lot of people want to see them. It’s about a balance between all the different matches you have – it’s a bit of a jigsaw – and the showcourts at the start of the week are definitely prioritised for the singles matches. We’ll see how it shapes up tomorrow.”