Serena Williams took to Instagram to explain her exit from the Wimbledon tournament on Tuesday.
Serena Williams is exiting Wimbledon after suffering a tournament-ending injury. Williams took to Instagram on Tuesday to share that she withdrew from this year's tournament after injuring her right leg during her match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.
The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion appeared to twist her ankle on the grassy court midway through the first set. Despite receiving treatment and attempting to continue, the injury meant that Williams' bid for a 24th Grand Slam singles title was over.
"I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg," Williams said of the incident. "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."
The 23-time Grand Slam winner most recently shared that she's not competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
During a press conference at Wimbledon on Sunday, the 39-year-old tennis pro told reporters that she's not on the list to play in the upcoming Olympic Games.
"I’m actually not on the Olympic list, not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it," she said. "There are a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision. I don't feel like going into them today, but maybe another day. Sorry."
As for whether she's considered what it'll be like to miss out on the competition, Williams said, "I have not thought about it."
"It has in the past been a wonderful place for me, but I really haven't thought about it, so I'm going to keep not thinking about it," she added.
Williams is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, most recently in 2012, when she won in both the singles and doubles competitions, the latter of which was alongside her sister, Venus Williams, with whom she won two times prior.
For more on the tennis star, watch the video below.
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