Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon after she stopped playing her first-round match because of a leg injury on Tuesday.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion was serving in the fifth game at Centre Court when she lost her footing near the baseline.
Williams took a medical timeout and tried to continue playing. But with tears in her eyes, the 39-year-old American dropped to her knees, then walked to the net to shake hands with her opponent, Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Williams did disclose any injury concerns before tournament play began, but she did tell reporters she did not plan to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.
She declined to say why she wasn’t participating, but Williams previously expressed concern about Olympic restrictions blocking athletes from bringing children and childcare assistance along to Tokyo due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus in Japan.
When asked whether she planned to compete in Tokyo, Williams responded, “I’m actually not on the Olympic list. … Not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it.”
Williams, 39, has won four Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles play. She did not, however, medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Williams is seeking her 24th Grand Slam, which would tie the open-era record set by Margaret Court. Wimbledon and the U.S. Open typically are Williams’ strongest venues and present the best opportunities to tie and potentially pass Court.