Tennis icon Serena Williams made a sensational return to singles action at Wimbledon on Tuesday, losing to Maya Joint in the first round.
A 23-time Grand Slam champion and seven-time Wimbledon winner, Williams recently announced a shock return to the WTA Tour after four years away from the sport that made her a household name across the world.
She put up a sturdy fight against Joint, even saving match point in the second set to force a decider, but the Australian eventually pulled through for a 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 win on Centre Court.
The 44-year-old had not played a competitive singles match since the US Open in 2022, spending the intervening years as a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist.
Williams relishes Wimbledon return
Williams declined to conduct a press conference after the match but did release a statement describing her thoughts and emotions on a historic day at SW19.
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here,” she wrote.
“The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing.
“I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”
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Joint shines under pressure
Joint, meanwhile, was thrilled with the victory, saying during her post-match interview: “I really don’t know what to say! I don’t know what just happened to be honest.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was up until like 2am just thinking about it.
“My legs weren’t moving in the warm-up, I really don’t know how I got a good start in the match.
“She has such an aura, she’s such a legend. I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid, so this is pretty crazy.
“The start was so nerve-racking, and trying to finish out the match was hard as well.”
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Simon Wilkes