Serena Williams, what’s going on? First the controversial gesture, then doubts about the doubles match with Venus

Serena Williams’ return to competitive tennis—with a singles match played four years after her last match before retiring—has cast a shadow that goes beyond her loss on the grass at Wimbledon to Maya Joint. Her controversial absence from the press conference was followed by confirmation of the knee injury that “The Queen” had already revealed after the match.

In a post on her social media accounts published on Wednesday, the champion explained: “I felt a twinge in my knee toward the end of the first set, but I’ll do everything I can to be ready for the doubles match with Venus.” This message immediately set off alarm bells: her participation in the doubles match with her older sister—one of the most anticipated moments of these Championships—is no longer a given.

The question circulating on the tour is simple: Will Serena be able to recover in time? Her return to competition had been greeted with enthusiasm, but the knee discomfort risks complicating an already delicate comeback after a four-year hiatus. The pairing with Venus is a major event and an emotional draw for the public: precisely for this reason, the alarm raised by the champion’s post carries more weight than any controversy.