Seven-time Wimbledon winner Serena Williams had her dreams of an eighth title and record-equalling 24th Grand Slam shattered after retiring injured from her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.In a season that has seen Williams have oral surgery and limit her schedule to fit around the majors, this unfortunate withdrawal comes as a knockout blow.It’s even more demoralising when you consider that the 39-year-old had long been looking ahead to Wimbledon. Indeed, grass is Williams’ best surface and having reached four of the last five finals at the All England Club, this was the tournament where it was felt she could muster a strong challenge.Yet from the moment the US star stepped onto Centre Court, it was clear something was wrong. There was heaving strapping on her thigh and just five games in, the 23-time major winner slipped nastily.Two games later, she was down again. As the realisation sunk in, Williams knew her match was over and was overcome with emotion before being forced to retire.

There was a standing ovation as she left, but also a sense of foreboding that this may have been the last time the American graced Centre Court.

Williams has not reached beyond the quarter-finals of any Slams this year and there is a feeling that her race may finally be run. Her last major title was at the Australian Open in 2017 and she has lost four finals since then.

What’s worse is that the former world number one has gone from coming agonisingly close on many occasions to battling for almost every win.

At the Italian Open, Williams was knocked out in the first round by Nadia Podoroska. In Parma, she recorded just one win and at the French Open, though she fought her way to the fourth round, she was outclassed by 21st seed Elena Rybakina in straight sets.

Williams’ mannerisms also ostensibly suggest that she believes her time may be up. The American said she was ”heartbroken” after her defeat yesterday and later affirmed that “the court [Centre] meant the world to her.”

Will she be back again then? In truth, it’s hard to say. By the time Wimbledon next comes around, Williams will be 40 years old. Yet, despite her age, the fitness struggles and the lack of form, there remains a lingering sense that the widely considered best player of all time will not stop until the stats prove it.