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Serena Williams heartbroken at Wimbledon injury
Serena Williams, Tennis News, Wimbledon

Serena Williams says she is ‘heartbroken’ following injury as Wimbledon forced to defend courts


Serena Williams has described herself as ‘heartbroken’ after a injury ended her Wimbledon hopes in round one.

Williams became the latest player to slip on the grass, but she was also one of the most unluckiest with her being unable to continue due to injury.

She was helped off court in tears as the reality set in, and it was the second match in a row that ended in a retirement following a slip after Adrian Mannarino met the same fate against Roger Federer.

“I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg,” Serena Williams said.

“My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on Centre Court so meaningful.

“Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on – and off – the court meant the world to me.”

Wimbledon, meanwhile, felt the need to release a statement defending their courts after so many experienced difficulty in the opening two days of The Championships.

“The preparation of the grass courts has been to exactly the same meticulous standard as in previous years,” the statement read.

“Each grass court is checked by the Grand Slam Supervisors, Referee’s Office and Grounds team ahead of play commencing, and on both days of the Fortnight they have been happy with the conditions and cleared the courts for play.

“The weather conditions on the opening two days have been the wettest we have experienced in almost a decade, which has required the roof to be closed on Centre Court and No.1 Court for long periods.

“This is at a time when the grass plant is at its most lush and green, which does result in additional moisture on what is a natural surface.

“With each match that is played, the courts will continue to firm up.

“We will continue to monitor these readings and adjust our care plan for the grass appropriately.”


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Michael Graham, Tennishead.net Editor, has been a professional sports journalist for his whole career and is especially passionate about tennis. He's been the Editor of Tennishead.net for over 5 years and loves watching live tennis by visiting as many tournaments as possible. Michael specialises in writing in-depth features about the ATP & WTA tours.