Serena Williams’ emotional return to Wimbledon ended in heartbreak on Tuesday as the seven-time champion lost 6-3, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3 to Australia’s Maya Joint in her first singles match at the Championships in four years.
The 44-year-old American, who came out of retirement in a surprise bid to compete again on tennis’ biggest stage, battled for two hours and 22 minutes on Centre Court but was unable to complete the fairytale comeback against the inspired 20-year-old.
Williams, playing her first Wimbledon singles match since her first-round exit in 2022, showed flashes of the brilliance that earned her seven titles at the All England Club, saving two match points and forcing a deciding set after a gripping second-set tie-break.
She even broke serve early in the final set, raising hopes of a remarkable victory, but Joint responded with two crucial breaks before sealing the biggest win of her career.
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here,” Williams said in a brief statement after opting not to attend her post-match press conference.
“The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”
Williams, the second-oldest woman to compete in the Wimbledon singles draw in the Open era after Martina Navratilova, returned to professional tennis motivated by the desire to play in front of her children.
Ahead of Wimbledon, she featured in doubles events at Queen’s Club and Berlin before accepting a wildcard into the singles draw.
Her last Grand Slam singles appearance had been at the 2022 US Open, where defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic appeared to signal the end of her illustrious career after she said she was “evolving away” from tennis.
After 1,462 days away from Wimbledon, Williams received a rousing reception from a packed Centre Court crowd, with her husband Alexis Ohanian, daughters Olympia and Adira, and sister Venus watching from the players’ box.
Despite the overwhelming support, Joint remained composed throughout the contest. The Australian, ranked world No. 87, broke Williams late in the opening set before taking control.
Williams responded with characteristic resilience, breaking back twice in the second set before edging a tense tie-break after saving a match point to force a decider.
However, Joint recovered after falling behind early in the final set, breaking Williams twice to end the American’s hopes of another memorable Wimbledon run.
Although her singles campaign is over, Williams will continue at the Championships in the doubles event alongside her sister, Venus Williams.
The former world No. 1, who last won a Grand Slam singles title at the 2017 Australian Open, left Centre Court to a standing ovation, waving to the crowd as another chapter of her remarkable Wimbledon story came to an end.
