Wimbledon’s decision to push Serena Williams’ first-round doubles match back by a day has sparked fresh backlash from fans, with many accusing the tournament of giving the American preferential treatment. After her singles return ended in defeat, Williams is still expected to partner with her sister Venus in the doubles draw, but the scheduling decision has become a bigger talking point than the comeback itself.

Williams had a tough three-set singles match against Maya Joint on her return, which ended in the American’s loss. However, worrying her fans, she confessed to having injured her knee, leaving her participation in doubles alongside Venus in doubt.

Although Williams has not withdrawn from the event, Wimbledon has opted to give her additional time to recover by scheduling the sisters’ first-round doubles match on July 4. By this time, 31 of the 32 women’s doubles first-round matches will already have been completed, while second-round action in the draw is also set to begin.

Fans on social media have been vocal about Wimbledon’s scheduling priorities, which have understandably put the Williams sisters at the top of the tournament’s list, with the legendary sibling duo being one of the biggest draws in doubles tennis. It has yet to be officially confirmed which court will host their first-round clash against Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio, with the match not scheduled before 4:00 p.m. local time, giving Williams additional recovery time.

Tournament director Jamie Baker openly acknowledged the decision, saying, “We are giving her as much time. Obviously, we want her to play if she possibly can.” Even though the court has not been assigned yet, there is a high likelihood it will be placed on a show court given the match’s marquee nature.

Double scheduling is not the only point on which Serena has drawn criticism at this year’s Wimbledon. Some sections of the fanbase have been critical of the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion for a seemingly cold handshake she offered Maya Joint at the net after their match. Williams faced even more backlash when she opted out of the post-match press conference, though reports indicated she was medically excused after aggravating her knee.

The apparent preferential treatment shown towards Williams and her doubles scheduling has irked many fans, who shared their frustrations on X.

Fans Not Happy With Wimbledon’s Preferential Treatment Towards Serena Williams

Preferential treatment does not sit well with sports fans, even if the person in question is Serena Williams, who is making her comeback after retiring four years ago. “It’s one of the best in history, but it’s already time for retirement”, said one fan.

Another fan pointed out that the schedule tweak, which they felt was made solely to accommodate Williams, was unfair to her opponents. “What a lack of respect toward their rivals. Shameful,” the user wrote.

Even a Serena fan was not happy with the situation, saying, “It’s too much, I’m happy about Serena’s return, but enough already.”

There were already questions over whether Williams should have returned to singles after such a lengthy absence. Following her defeat to Joint, those criticisms only intensified, with the scheduling decision adding further fuel to the debate. “That bothers me. Enough. It’s time to accept the moment to step back,” another fan posted.

Lastly, a fan pointed out that giving Serena extra time to recover was setting an unwanted precedent at Wimbledon. “Disgusting!!! Have they ever moved a match to give a player time to recover from an injury before the next match???????” the fan questioned.

This is not the first time fans have called out bias circling Serena during her comeback. Back at Queens, the BBC faced the wrath of fans after showing only Serena’s matches instead of home favorites like Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter. Even during her first-round match against Joint, fans complained that the commentary from veteran broadcasters like John McEnroe was too Serena-centric and paid little attention to her opponent.