Summary
- Serena Williams’ bid for a fairytale comeback at Wimbledon ended in disappointment on Tuesday as the seven-time champion was defeated by Australia’s Maya Joint in her first singles match at the All England Club in four years.
- Williams, the second-oldest player to compete in Wimbledon women’s singles in the Open era after Martina Navratilova, fought valiantly but could not overcome her younger opponent.
- Despite the singles exit, Williams’ Wimbledon campaign is not over.
Serena Williams’ bid for a fairytale comeback at Wimbledon ended in disappointment on Tuesday as the seven-time champion was defeated by Australia’s Maya Joint in her first singles match at the All England Club in four years. The 44-year-old American lost 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 in a gripping contest that lasted two hours and 22 minutes.
Williams, the second-oldest player to compete in Wimbledon women’s singles in the Open era after Martina Navratilova, fought valiantly but could not overcome her younger opponent. She saved two match points and even led by a break in the deciding set before Joint rallied to seal the victory.
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here,” Williams said in a brief statement after declining media duties. “The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”
Williams, who last won a Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open, had returned to tennis earlier in June motivated by a desire to play in front of her children. She had featured in doubles events at Queen’s Club and Berlin before accepting a wild card entry into the Wimbledon singles. Her last Grand Slam appearance was at the US Open in 2022, when she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic and hinted at retirement.
On Centre Court, Williams was greeted warmly by fans under the closed roof, with her daughters Olympia and Adira, husband Alexis Ohanian, and sister Venus watching from the players’ box. The crowd roared as she produced flashes of her trademark brilliance, including a perfectly weighted lob and nerveless winners in the second-set tie-break.
Joint, ranked 87th in the world and just 20 years old, showed remarkable composure. She broke Williams in the eighth game of the first set and held her nerve in the decider, hitting back with two breaks to secure the win.
Despite the singles exit, Williams’ Wimbledon campaign is not over. She is also competing in doubles alongside Venus, where a deep run could still mark her return as more than symbolic.
Williams, who has reached 11 Wimbledon finals in her career, departed quickly after the match, waving to the crowd before leaving the court. For now, her dream of another Wimbledon crown remains unfulfilled, but her return has reminded fans of her enduring legacy as one of the sport’s greatest icons.
