Venus Williams is facing an anxious wait after declining to speak to the media following her Wimbledon doubles defeat, a decision that could yet land the American tennis icon in trouble with tournament officials.
The 46-year-old returned to the All England Club alongside Germany's Kevin Krawietz in the mixed doubles draw on Friday, but their campaign came to an early end after a straight-sets defeat.
British doubles specialist Lloyd Glasspool and Slovakia's Tereza Mihalikova claimed a 6-4, 6-4 victory on Court 14, ending Williams' hopes of a deep run in the competition.
Attention quickly turned to the post-match media obligations that players are expected to fulfil when interview requests have been submitted in advance by accredited journalists.
Under Grand Slam regulations, players who fail to meet those obligations without an accepted reason can face financial penalties. The Grand Slam Rule Book allows fines of up to $50,000 (£37,500) for breaches of its "Media Opportunities" provisions.
Exceptions can be made if a player is considered unable to appear for legitimate reasons, including illness or injury.
Williams declined to attend her scheduled media session after the defeat and did not provide any post-match comments.
Venus Williams is facing an anxious wait after declining to speak to the media following her Wimbledon doubles defeat, a decision that could yet land the American tennis icon in trouble with tournament officials
|PA
Venus Williams lost in the WImbledon mixed doubles on Friday
|PA
Tournament officials are aware of the situation, with the matter now expected to be considered by the Grand Slam Supervisors before any decision is reached.
The development comes at a time when anticipation is continuing to build around the prospect of Venus reuniting with her younger sister Serena Williams in the doubles competition.
The legendary American siblings, who have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together between 1999 and 2016, are due to return to the court as partners on Saturday after their match was pushed back by a day.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Five things to know about Wimbledon | GB NEWSTheir appearance had originally been scheduled for Friday before Serena suffered a minor knee issue on Centre Court, forcing organisers to delay the contest.
The reunion is expected to be one of the biggest attractions of the Championships, with huge interest from fans eager to see two of the greatest players in tennis history sharing the court once again.
Tournament organisers are also carefully considering where to stage the match because of the enormous crowds it is expected to attract.
Placing the contest on one of the smaller, non-ticketed courts could create significant security and safety concerns.
Venus Williams and Serena Williams are set to reunite on one of tennis' biggest stages
| PAWimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker acknowledged the logistical challenge while confirming Venus remains eligible to compete.
"She’s still in the draw now. Venus can’t re-pair at this point.
"Serena and Venus, they’re massive global stars, so there’s a lot of people who want to see it happen. But scheduling is a balance between all the different matches that you have and a bit of a jigsaw.
"And obviously the show courts at the start of the week are definitely prioritised for the singles matches."