The 23-time grand slam champion said she ‘missed and relished’ the heat of competition after playing her first singles match in four years, losing to the 20-year-old Maya Joint, 6-3 6-7 6-3, on Centre Court
Serena Williams went down fighting as she was beaten by Maya Joint on her return to Wimbledon, with the 44-year-old wildcard losing 6-3 6-7 6-3 in a thrilling battle on Centre Court on her first singles match in four years.
Just stepping onto Centre Court for the first time since a first-round defeat to Harmony Tan in 2022, Williams became the second-oldest player to appear in a Wimbledon main draw match and oldest since a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova in 2004. Williams said she had “no expectations” ahead of her return, but predicted nerves.
The first set was difficult for Williams. Joint, the 20-year-old Australian, stood up to the immense pressure of facing a legend of the sport and the world No 87 was able to force errors from Williams and converted the only break of the first set to strike ahead.
After going a break down in the second, Williams, who was watched by both of her young children on Centre Court, switched to a more aggressive return game and found a much higher level as she rallied from behind, saving match point in the tiebreak.
Williams went a break up in the deciding set, but could not close in on the finish line as Joint prevailed in two hours and 22 minutes. Williams will return later this week to play doubles with her sister Venus Williams, who was also courtside.
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon,” said Williams, who later skipped her press conference. “I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”
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