Listen Live
93.9 WKYS Featured Video
CLOSE

A mystery illness has taken Serena Williams out of the game at Wimbledon.

The tennis champ was devastated to check out of the competition early after suffering symptoms that left her disoriented on the court.

According to ABC News, Serena was showing signs of trouble early on as she had a hard time handling the ball during warm ups for her doubles match today. Supposedly, she was having difficulty bouncing, catching, and serving. Serena wound up double faulting four times in a row; eventually she had to quit after just three games.

MUST READ: Serena Williams Is Unstoppable! A Look Back At The Best Season Of Her Career

Serena almost didn’t make it onto the court this morning as she consulted with Wimbledon medics just moments before the match began. Despite being under the weather, she opted to play anyway.

MUST READ: Serena Williams Wins AP’s Athlete Of The Year Award For The 3rd Time!

Spectators couldn’t tell what was wrong with Serena, but fans definitely knew something was off as she fumbled through the doubles match. It was an unexpected showing for Serena, who won the U.S. Open last fall. Serena, a five-time Wimbledon champ, was clearly heartbroken as she exited the court with her sister Venus Williams at her side. The pair were down 0-3 in their match before Serena was sidelined.

Wimbledon officials later informed fans that Serena was suffering from a viral illness, but they didn’t specifically state what it is. She issued a statement, explaining, “I thought I could rally this morning, because I really wanted to compete, but this bug just got the best of me.”

Serena fully intends to come back for the tournament next year.

READ MORE:

SHOTS FIRED: Maria Sharapova Calls Out Serena Williams For Dating A Married Man

Serena Williams Covers Fitness Magazine & It’s Officially Time To Join A Gym

Beyoncé, Serena Williams, Kerry Washington Among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People In The World

Serena Williams Drops Out of Wimbledon Due To Virus  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com