Serena Williams experienced a first-round defeat in her return to singles tennis at Wimbledon, falling to Australian player Joint. The match, held on Centre Court, marked Williams’ first professional singles appearance since 2022. Despite a spirited effort that saw her save a match point in the second set, Williams ultimately lost 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.
The 44-year-old, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, showcased moments of her past form but appeared to lose momentum after securing an early break in the deciding set. This result marks her third consecutive first-round exit at the All England Club, following similar outcomes in 2021 and four years prior.
Joint, who is 20, admitted to feeling nervous before and during the match. She stated, “I didn’t get much sleep last night, I was up until 2:00 am last night just thinking about it.” Joint also mentioned, “The start was very nerve-wracking. Trying to close out the match, she definitely raised her level.” Joint had a challenging run leading up to this match, having been in strong form recently. However, she found her form, reminiscent of when she was ranked in the top 30 in February.
Williams’ return to the sport was announced earlier this month, and she had participated in two doubles matches prior to Wimbledon. She became the second-oldest player to compete in the Wimbledon women’s singles during the Open era, a record held by Martina Navratilova, who reached the second round at 47 years old in 2004.
The crowd on Centre Court gave Williams a warm reception, with supporters holding signs such as “Welcome Back” and one wearing a T-shirt with the message “Unstoppable Queen.” Despite the enthusiastic support and loud celebrations when she won the second set, the crowd’s encouragement was not enough to secure a victory.
Williams last won a Wimbledon title a decade ago, and her most recent Grand Slam triumph was at the 2017 Australian Open, which she won while pregnant. Joint’s next opponent will be Alexandra Eala, who secured her first Wimbledon win by dropping only three games against Renata Zarazua.
Following her singles exit, Williams is set to focus on the women’s doubles tournament, where she will partner with her 46-year-old sister, Venus Williams. Together, they will aim for a seventh Wimbledon women’s doubles title.
Other notable results
In other matches, reigning champion Iga Swiatek overcame a second-set challenge to defeat Taylor Townsend 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. Swiatek, the third seed, made 16 unforced errors in the second set but managed to win the decider. She is scheduled to face former world number one Karolina Pliskova in the second round on Thursday.
Second seed Elena Rybakina also had a tough match, battling past Lois Boisson, a French Open semi-finalist, in three sets. Amanda Anisimova, who was a finalist last year, began her campaign with a straight-sets victory over Lina Gjorcheska.
On the men’s side, French Open champion Alexander Zverev progressed after a challenging first-round match against Alexander Blockx, winning 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/0). The German second seed, who won his first major title at Roland Garros, is aiming to advance beyond the last 16 at Wimbledon for the first time.
However, fourth seed Ben Shelton was eliminated by Otto Virtanen of Finland, losing in a fifth-set tie-break after missing a match point. American sixth seed Taylor Fritz, a semi-finalist last year, and fifth seed Alex de Minaur both secured straight-sets victories.
Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka bid farewell to Wimbledon after a lengthy match against Matteo Berrettini, losing 6-7 (9), 7-6 (16), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5). The match featured a 34-point tie-break in the second set. Wawrinka expressed his feelings about retiring, stating, “I don’t want to retire but I know it’s time.”
The match between Cobolli and Navone was suspended at the end of the third set, with Cobolli leading 1-6, 7-6, 6-3. Similarly, Tiafoe and Atmane‘s match on Court 12 was halted, with Tiafoe leading 7-6, 6-1, 4-6.
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Source: aljazeera.com
Daniel Fairbrother is the Senior Football Correspondent at Latest News UK, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with over a decade of reporting experience. He spent eight years on the football desk of a Yorkshire daily before moving into national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Leeds, he watches non-league football and runs a five-a-side league. “The best football stories are won in the week, not on the whistle.”