Serena Williams beaten by world No 87 on Wimbledon return
CENTRE COURT — The year is 2026 and Serena Williams is playing singles tennis, 28 years on from her grand slam debut and four years after she “evolved away” from the sport.
Why? Not even the 44-year-old could fully explain it, but two reasons were in her player’s box on Centre Court, daughters Olympia and Adira watching their mother on a stage where she has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish seven times.
On Tuesday night, Olympia and Adira witnessed Williams get a hero’s welcome, her return comfortably the blockbuster occasion of this opening week at Wimbledon.
They witnessed some trademark Serena moments: a 121mph ace, powerful winners, and roars that told you she cares.
But they could not witness what would have been a remarkable victory, the American digging deep to save a match point and force a decider but ultimately losing in her first singles match since the 2022 US Open to Australia’s Maya Joint, 6-3 6-7 6-3.
The show is not over. Williams is playing with sister Venus here in the women’s doubles, but this was no fairy-tale singles return. The US Open? Who knows. She probably doesn’t even know herself.
This was never about winning grand slam No 24. Winning one match would have been an achievement.
And in reality all that truly mattered on Tuesday night was that Williams was back, sprinkling some much-needed stardust on a sport that has waved goodbye to so many greats in recent years.
Her entrance was proof star power is not bought but earned. Guests in the Royal Box had been sure to take their seats, the press filled their section as if it were finals weekend, while punters revelled in the fact tickets purchased perhaps months ago resulted in a date under the roof with Williams.
All she had done by that point was walk out, but even her warm-up racket swings before the coin toss earned a cheer, so too her jog to the baseline to begin the match. As if she’d never been away.
All eyes then on Williams’ movement, and how Joint – who had lost 13 of her previous 14 matches – could trouble an opponent 24 years her senior.
Either way, Williams was not going to hang around. Double the winners and unforced errors after four games spoke of her desire to make it swift.
A roar heard a thousand times here, on this occasion to save break point in the eighth game, answered any questions over how much she wanted to win.
But early on she was outplayed. Williams had practised with Marta Kostyuk and Maria Sakkari in the build-up to Wimbledon to ensure she was match-ready, but practice couldn’t turn back time – and she had played no competitive singles matches.
Joint eventually did break in that eighth game, and after taking the first set, the Australian seemingly twisted the knife at the start of the second.
Williams though was not done, breaking back before the pair traded breaks once more. Suddenly, she was 5-4 up and close to forcing a decider.
It got tenser and tighter, and Williams then saved match point in the tie-break before taking the match to a decider. What seemed unlikely at 8.30pm was now happening barely half-an-hour later.
Suddenly, Williams found herself in a match going beyond two hours, and that lack of readiness eventually told out, with Joint – who admitted she did not get much sleep the night before – able to overcome her recent struggles to beat the 23-time grand slam champion.
Not to be for Williams, but it was enough to justify the wild card, and no doubt Olympia and Adira will get to witness more greatness when the doubles comes around.