Serena Williams’ fairytale comeback ended early with a first round singles exit at Wimbledon.
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Williams, 44, fell to Australian Maya Joint in three sets, marking the tennis legend and 23‑time Grand Slam champion’s first singles match in four years.
“I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid,” Joint said after the match. “This is crazy. I really don’t know what to say right now — I don’t know what just happened, to be honest.”
Joint claimed the first set 6-3, controlling most of the rallies and dictating play with some of her strongest tennis of the season. Williams showed flashes of her trademark power on serve, but her return game wasn’t as sharp as at her peak. Her movement held up reasonably well, yet Joint’s pace and depth kept her pinned in defensive positions for long stretches.
Joint continued to dictate in the second set, pushing Williams back throughout the baseline exchanges. Williams overhit at times while trying to keep Joint off her, missing early chances to change the rhythm. Eventually, she began taking charge of rallies, using angles to open up the court and disrupt Joint’s patterns. Williams worked her way to a 5-4 lead but couldn’t secure the break she needed.
The set tightened late, and it ultimately came down to a tiebreak. Williams saved a match point and held firm to close out the set 7-6 (8-6) as Centre Court roared.
Williams showed a clear dip in energy in the third set, using her legs less on serve and displaying rising frustration. Joint, just 20 years old and 24 years younger than her opponent, stayed fresh and aggressive, taking control of the final set and pulling away 6-3.
For Joint, the victory marked a personal milestone. She entered the contest facing a legend who had lost 13 of her last 14 matches, but you wouldn’t have known it from the confidence she carried onto Centre Court.
Williams returns to Wimbledon action as she plays doubles with her sister, Venus. Action begins on July 2.
Serena Williams explains decision to enter Wimbledon singles draw
Williams says she did not expect to compete in singles at Wimbledon again, but accepted a wild card into the main draw on June 21 after deciding the moment warranted a return.
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“I never thought I would do this again,” Williams said at the pre‑championship press conference on Sunday. “When I evolved, I never knew I would come back.”
In an editorial penned for Vogue magazine’s September 2022 edition, Williams revealed she was “evolving away from tennis” sometime after the year’s U.S. Open.
So what changed?
Williams said the offer from Wimbledon prompted her to reassess and carefully review, as it is “not every day Wimbledon holds a wild card for someone.”
“I thought, well, I should really take this opportunity. Who knows if I’ll ever make it here again? This could be it,” Williams explained her thought process to the press. “I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me, Serena? Are you nuts? You really should do this.’ People live to be an athlete and I have this great opportunity to showcase what I do — what I do best, I suppose.”
Her return immediately affected the draw, with players hoping to avoid her in the opening round. Williams said she understands that reaction.
“Respectfully, it is not surprising,” she said. “It’s like the big four [Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray] coming back — no one would want to play them in their first round. I think that’s just an immense amount of respect.”
She added that the uncertainty around her current level makes her an even more challenging early opponent.
“Especially at a Grand Slam — you want to warm up, you want to play someone. No one knows how my game may or may not have evolved, what to expect. Those opponents are always very difficult to play.”
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