What Happened To Serena Williams? Why Did She Retire From Wimbledon First-round Match?
Serena Williams' quest for a 24th career Grand Slam prolonged after an ankle injury forced her to retire from the grass-court during her Wimbledon first-round match with Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus on Tuesday. Serena Williams was in complete control of the proceedings in the first set of her first-round match before she slipped and needed an examination on her left ankle. Serena Williams was on the ground before she was helped to her feet by the chair umpire. While the former world number one did receive medical attention instantly but, she was in no position to continue as she seemed to be in excruciating pain and in the end, had no choice but to forfeit the match. The champion player was in tears and could barely move as she acknowledged the crowd who gave her a standing ovation. Serena Williams injury  Watch the video of Serena Williams injuring her ankle and leaving the court after forfeiting the match here:  We're heartbroken for you, Serena. Our seven-time singles champion is forced to retire from The Championships 2021 through injury#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/vpcW1UN78s  Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2021  Wimbledon 2021: Serena Williams leg injury  The seven-time Wimbledon champion officially confirmed her ouster from the ongoing tournament and said that it is indeed 'heartbreaking' for her to exit the tournament in this manner after having injured her right leg. "I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg. My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on centre court so meaningful", wrote Williams on her official Instagram page. "Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on - and off - the court meant the world to me", she added. Serena Williams has been stranded on 23 Grand Slams since the 2017 Australian Open. The sixth-seed player looked to win her eighth Wimbledon crown but this injury has kept the future Hall of Famer waiting. At the same time, Serena had also confirmed that she would not be participating in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games 2020. The prestigious tournament was called off last year owing to the global pandemic and prior to that, Williams had made two final appearances in the 2018 & 2019 editions to finish second-best after going down to Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep respectively.