It has only been a week since a Wimbledon poster depicting stars of "then and now" hurt many Serena Williams fans for her placement in the picture, and now, the tournament is inviting her for a special ceremony.
Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton revealed that the tournament invited the American tennis superstar for a ceremony meant to honor her alongside Roger Federer, but she declined.
The reason, though, has nothing to do with the poster. Serena was just unavailable to travel due to her pregnancy with her second daughter.
"(We) of course wish her lots of luck with the remainder of her pregnancy and we hope maybe we might see her next year," Bolton said.
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The poster in question was the one Wimbledon released before the tournament started. Serena Williams and her sister Venus, who won the English tournament seven times and five times, respectively, were at the back of the picture.
At Wimbledon, we've witnessed epic rivalry after epic rivalry, lifting the sport to new heights ✨
Here's to the next generation of headline acts... pic.twitter.com/Lq9J2qVQEn— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 20, 2023
In front were newcomers Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alvarez, who both had yet to win a Wimbledon or any Grand Slam title.
Andy Murray shows support for female tennis greats
Even Andy Murray took notice of the poster and called it "a disaster."
The British tennis star does not mind that the tournament in his hometown put him behind the two youngsters.
What he is upset with is the placement of the female greats.
"For me, Alcaraz and Sinner are unbelievable players but it just seems strange that they were all sort of behind them," he said.
"I personally don't really care that much about it. But I can see when you look at it's like, 'that does look a bit strange'."
Related article: Caroline Wozniacki Says She Talked to Serena Williams Before Making A Comeback
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