Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, was serving in the fifth game at Centre Court when she lost her footing near the baseline.
WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams stopped playing her first-round match at Wimbledon in the first set Tuesday after she hurt her left leg by slipping during a point, a sudden end to her latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. Roger Federer’s reaction when he found out what happened to Williams? “Oh my God, I can’t believe it,” he said, surely articulating a common sentiment. Williams was serving in the fifth game at Centre Court — where the roof was shut because of rain much of the afternoon — when she lost her footing near the baseline while hitting a forehand against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus. Williams winced and stepped gingerly between points, clearly troubled. After dropping that game, she took a medical timeout and tried to continue playing. A crying Williams bit her upper lip and covered her face between points. The crowd tried to offer support and encouragement. But eventually, the 39-year-old American dropped to her knees, and the chair umpire came over to check on her.
