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The roar started even before Serena Williams stepped foot on Center Court. They got even bigger when the 23-time Grand Slam champion arrived to play her first singles match in nearly four years.
And when it was over and the 44-year-old Williams produced a stunning three-set loss to a player less than half her age in the opening round of Wimbledon with her two daughters cheering her on, Williams smiled as she walked away to a standing ovation.
“It was really nice to be back at Wimbledon. I didn’t expect to be here,” said Williams, who did not meet with the media after the match, in a statement released by Wimbledon organizers. “The atmosphere was amazing. The exit was amazing. I really enjoyed it and missed it and enjoyed the time more than anything.”
In a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 loss to 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia on Tuesday, Williams showed she can still run faster than 120 mph and dictate points with her heavy groundstrokes.
Movement was a problem for Williams, however, and the 87th-ranked Joint was able to handle Williams’ pace and win many big points by hitting beyond the American’s reach.
While Williams played two doubles matches shortly before Wimbledon announced her comeback, she had not played a singles match since the 2022 US Open.
“He’s got such an aura, he’s a legend and this court has had a lot of big names play on it,” Joint added. “I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid, so this is crazy.”
Williams has 98 career wins and seven singles titles on the hallowed turf of the All England Club. In contrast, it was Joint’s first Wimbledon victory in his second appearance at the All England Club after losing in the opening round last year.
But Joint won the Wimbledon warmup near Eastbourne last year and knows how to play on grass.
A double match is yet to come
Williams, unranked in singles after being out for so long, was given wildcard invitations by Wimbledon organizers to play singles and doubles with older sister Venus. His doubles match will come later in the week.
Williams said the absence of her two daughters from school inspired her to come back and it was the first time her youngest daughter, Adira, who is almost three, saw her play singles. Adira was sitting next to her 8-year-old sister, Olympia, at the front of Serena’s players’ box.
A standing ovation
The fans began to cheer when Williams’ name was announced as the next match on Center Court and gave him a standing ovation as he exited before the match began under a closed roof. Several supporters held up signs with messages such as “Welcome Back” and one wore a T-shirt that read “The Unstoppable Queen.”
Williams hit a topspin lob winner in the opening set and then unleashed a 121 mph ace to tie the game at 3-3 in the first set. But Williams also double-faulted to lead to one break of the first set.
In the second, Williams came back from 0-40 and saved four break points to take a 6-5 lead. Williams then saved the match point in the tiebreaker with a big serve down the T followed by a forehand winner. Another big serve – up to 122 mph – set up Serena’s first position, which she converted when Joint missed a long forehand.
After winning the set, Williams quietly pumped her fist.
But Joint took over early in the third and Williams’ forehand went the distance on Joint’s third of the game to end the rally after 2 hours, 22 minutes.
Williams and Joint both had 37 unforced errors, with Joint leading the winners 40-26.
Zverev and Swiatek in advance
After the opening day came the victory of the No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, along with Novak Djokovic, French Open champion Alexander Zverev and defending Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the second round on Tuesday.
In a match between strong servers, second-seeded Zverev beat Alexander Blockx 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (0).
Swiatek, who was looking after her father and sister in the Royal Box, struggled on her serve and made nine double faults before defeating Taylor Townsend 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
No. 2 Elena Rybakina also advanced, beating Lois Boisson 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
Fourth-seeded Ben Shelton, who reached the quarterfinals here last year, lost to 140th-ranked Otto Virtanen in five sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9).
Also, 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini beat Stan Wawrinka 6-7 (7), 7-6 (16), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5). It was the last Wimbledon match for Wawrinka, who plans to retire at the end of the year.
