Serena Williams played her first singles match since 2022 yesterday at Wimbledon against Australian 20-year-old Maya Joint, and even though Joint defeated Williams, the veteran showed plenty of what made her a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Wimbledon doesn’t just hold a wild card for anyone — Williams said so herself on Sunday — and it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
“I thought not every day Wimbledon holds a wild card for someone,” Williams said to the press on her Sunday media day. “I can name probably like a handful of people. I happened to be one of those people. I thought I should really take this opportunity. Who knows if I’ll ever make it here again. This could be it.”
It was her first appearance in front of the southwest London crowd in four years, and Williams knew this time would be more distinct emotionally than the rest.
“I think my feelings will be different,” Williams said Sunday. “I think in general my expectations are definitely different for the first time in my career. My feelings are just — not that I never enjoyed it before, or else I wouldn’t be here today — but I feel like I’m really going to enjoy being out there.”
Williams couldn’t bring her A-game as she used to, and Joint beat her 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3. “It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here,” Williams, who did not meet with the media after the match, said in a statement released by Wimbledon organisers. “The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”
Williams has 98 victories in singles at the All England Club, but it was Maya’s first Wimbledon victory in just her second appearance after she lost in the opening round last year. Serena has said that having her two daughters out of school inspired her comeback, and that it marked the first time her youngest daughter, Adira, saw her play singles.
Williams was given a standing ovation as she walked on court before the match started, and several supporters held up welcoming messages.
Serena executed a delicate topspin lob winner early on and then cranked out a 121 mph ace to hold for 3-3 in the first set, but she also had a double fault, which led to the only break of the first set.
In the second set, Williams came back from 0-40 and saved four break points to hold for 6-5. In the third set, Joint took control and a forehand from Williams sailed long on Joint’s third match point, which brought the game to an end, and Maya Joint had her first victory at Wimbledon.
About the match against Williams, Joint said, “Stepping out on court with Serena was something I never thought I’d get to do,” Joint said to the press after the match. “I don’t think I have quite processed it yet.”
“It’s an honour,” Joint said Friday at media day. “I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams, and if you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that’s just crazy.
I have so much respect for her, and she was one of my idols growing up. I’m just really excited to have the opportunity to play against her.”
“The stadium is pretty much what I expected,” Joint said. “A full stadium and very loud. They also cheered a lot for me, which I didn’t think they would, as much as they did. That was a nice surprise. I don’t know the last time I played in such a full stadium, so that was amazing.”
“I usually don’t have that where I can’t sleep, but this was a special circumstance,” Joint said. “I mean, you know, I was looking for my first Wimbledon win, just a win in general. I was playing against Serena on Centre Court. Just a lot of thoughts going through my mind, because I wanted to do really well, and I was nervous with what was going to happen.”
“I think this time was definitely more extreme,” Joint said to the press. “I have definitely been nervous before matches before, but it’s usually just right before I go on, not for four days before I find out when I’m going to play her.”
“It’s difficult to explain,” Joint said. “I don’t know. It just seems like she’s just so much better in general than you as a person [laughing]. I don’t know. It’s just intimidating having to play a match against someone who has achieved so much in their career.”
Joint will face Alexandra Eala on Thursday in the second round— while Williams will remain in Wimbledon for doubles alongside her sister, Venus.
