Wimbledon to miss Williams sisters for the first time in decades

The grass courts of Wimbledon will be missing two WTA legends this summer, as neither Serena Williams nor Venus Williams will be competing at the event for the first time in almost thirty years.

The Williams sisters have been a staple at SW19 since 1996, with either one or both of them competing for the distinguished trophy. Venus has won the singles title on five occasions, whereas younger sister Serena has been victorious seven times. Both sisters have also teamed with each other to lift the doubles titles six different times.

Serena Williams rode off into the sunset at the 2022 US Open, when she finally decided to call it a career. The 23-time Grand Slam champion's last Wimbledon appearance was in 2022, where she received a wildcard entry to the event. Despite a valiant effort, Williams fell in three sets to France's Harmony Tan in her opening round match.

Conversely, Venus Williams last appearance at Wimbledon came in 2023. The former World No.1 faced a returning Elina Svitolina in the opening round, but was unable to overcome her Ukrainian opponent.

With Serena retired and Venus not competing at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, fans will be denied the pleasure of watching either of these two legendary icons play after being a staple at the event for almost 30 years.