Tennis great Serena Williams walked out of Wimbledon in tears after her latest bid for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam singles crown. The tennis champ ended in injury and loose the singles title.

The American sixth seed and seven-times Wimbledon winner was clearly in pain on a slippery Centre Court. She had treated herself while 3-2 up in her first round match against unseeded Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Williams returned after a lengthy break but the distress was evident. She grimaced and wiped away tears before preparing to serve at 3-3 after Sasnovich had pulled back from 3-1 down. The braveheart 39-year-old champ, who had started the match with strapping on her right thigh, then let out a shriek and sank kneeling to the grass sobbing, before being helped off the court. Williams wrote her pain out on her Instagram handle, “I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg. My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on centre court so meaningful. Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on – and off – the court meant the world to me.”

In fact, Sasnovich took it well as she has all-in winning spirit practised her serve while Williams was getting treatment. She commiserated with an opponent who had never gone out in the first round at Wimbledon in her previous 19 visits. Williams has been a Wimbledon finalist in her last four appearances but her bid to equal Margaret Court`s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles has stalled since her last in Australia in 2017. Compatriot Coco Gauff said “She’s the reason why I started to play tennis. It`s hard to watch any player get injured, but especially her.”

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