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Serena Williams could be forced to pull out of the Wimbledon doubles event after the American legend suffered a knee injury in her first-round singles defeat.Williams, playing her first singles match in four years, was beaten by Australia's Maya Joint in a three-set epic on Centre Court late on Tuesday evening.The 44-year-old, who retired in 2022, made a sensational comeback in June, playing doubles tournaments at Queen's Club and Berlin.She is due to join forces with sister Venus Williams in the women's doubles first round against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.There had been no indication of any injury to the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion during the Joint loss.But Serena did not attend the mandatory post-match press conference, instead issuing a short quote through tournament organisers.Players can be fined for skipping media duties but it was revealed on Wednesday that Williams is dealing with a knee problem.A statement from the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion's agent Jill Smoller read: "Serena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams."She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week."Williams later added on Instagram: "It felt so good to be back on the grass at Wimbledon. I'm incredibly thankful for the wild card - and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it's never too late to chase something you love."I tweaked my knee late in the first set, but I'll be doing everything I can to be ready for doubles with Venus Williams."Congratulations to Maya.joint on a great match, and thank you to everyone who showed up and showed me so much love. That feeling will never get old."Serena and Venus, 46, who were given a wildcard entry into the tournament, have won the Wimbledon doubles six times, with their most recent title coming in 2016.Serena has not won a Grand Slam singles crown since the 2017 Australian Open, while Venus last lifted a major singles trophy at Wimbledon in 2008.Serena said her astonishing comeback was motivated by a desire to play in front of her two young daughters.Her children watched their mother's loss to Joint alongside her husband Alexis Ohanian and Venus in the players' box on Tuesday. 

Football Legend Mikaël Silvestre has lauded the exceptional football experience and operational excellence at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025.Silvestre, a decorated former French international defender with more than 400 career appearances for Manchester United, Arsenal, Inter Milan and other elite clubs, was in Qatar to attend the historic first-ever 48-team youth tournament. "The quality of the football is quite intense. There's a lot of aggressiveness, the players are going for it. The group stage brings real pressure, and the quality is exceptional because you're watching the crème de la crème on the pitch"Yet it was the tournament’s seamless organisation that captured Silvestre's particular admiration: "From the venue to the infrastructure, especially for guests like me, the standard of organisation is fantastic. The players have everything in their favour to concentrate on football and shine on the global stage."Drawing on his experience witnessing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Silvestre reflected on how Qatar's hosting capabilities have proven consistent: "During the World Cup in 2022, we were able to watch multiple games at different venues in a single day. The commute between stadiums, the quality of the pitches, the infrastructure, everything was seamless. When the U-17 World Cup was awarded to Qatar, I was genuinely pleased. For me, it's a win-win for everyone."The tournament, hosted across eight state-of-the-art pitches at the Competition Complex in Aspire Zone, underscores Qatar's ongoing commitment to youth development and its growing legacy as a premier international sports destination.As the first FIFA World Cup to feature 48 teams, this is the biggest-ever edition of the youth tournament that saw the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Luis Figo, Xavi Hernandez, Eden Hazard, Andres Iniesta, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Son Heung-min and Francesco Totti appear on the world stage for the first time.A total of 104 matches will be contested, culminating in the Final on 27 November at Khalifa International Stadium. This marks the first of five consecutive youth tournaments that Qatar will host through 2029.