Venus Williams collapses in agony in first round of Wimbledon

The spectators at Wimbledon‘s Centre Court were filled with horror as Venus Williams, a five-time champion, let out a scream of agony and collapsed.

During her first-round match against Elina Svitolina from Ukraine, just under 15 minutes into the first set, Williams, who was leading 2-0 after breaking serve, reached for a volley at the net. Unfortunately, she screamed in pain and fell to the ground, causing great concern on the court. She remained on the ground for about 40 seconds, visibly distressed, while the umpire and Svitolina rushed to her aid.

Initially, it appeared doubtful whether Williams would be able to continue. However, she managed to rise from the ground and walked gingerly to her seat, where she received assistance from a trainer. Despite her limited mobility, she bravely played on, receiving warm support from the crowd, who applauded her resilience.

Svitolina went on to break Williams’ serve again, taking a 3-2 lead with a break. However, Williams persevered through the pain and saved a set point while trailing 3-4. Nevertheless, Svitolina secured the set with a score of 6-4 after surviving two break points in the decisive game.

With Williams visibly struggling physically and the trainer attending to her knee, the outcome seemed inevitable, especially when Svitolina took a two-break lead in the second set. Nonetheless, Williams, staying true to her character, managed to recover one of the breaks before the conclusion of the match.

Williams received a standing ovation as she bid farewell to the court.

Now 43 years old, Williams won her first Wimbledon title in 2000 and secured four more by 2008. She reached the final of the tournament once again in 2017, narrowly losing to Garbine Muguruza from Spain.

Her participation in this year’s event sparked speculation that it might be her final appearance, although Williams dismissed such notions. Prior to her match against Svitolina, she jokingly remarked that she could continue playing into her fifties.

Moving on to the second round.@ElinaSvitolina beats five-time champion Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-3#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/0JXnOuFxFX

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2023

“No one has ever done it before, so if someone were to attempt it, it would be me,” she remarked.

Williams has faced numerous injuries in recent years and took a six-month hiatus after competing in New Zealand in January. Her current world tennis ranking stands at 554, a significant improvement from a previous point last year when she dropped out of the top thousand.

“I haven’t had many opportunities to play matches in the past few years, and it wasn’t by choice,” she recently explained, expressing the difficulties she faced with injuries and the challenging rehabilitation process.

“It was a nightmare. I wanted to be out there playing, but I couldn’t. I persevered, worked even harder, and placed myself in a much better position.”

Williams’ exit eliminates one former champion from the women’s draw.

Here are some other notable results from the first day of play: