Serena Williams returned to Centre Court at Wimbledon, London, on June 30, 2026, generating cheers from the crowd even before her match began. This was her first singles match in four years. Williams, 44, faced a challenging opponent, 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia, and completed the match admirably with her daughters watching.
Despite a loss, the tennis legend appreciated the atmosphere and cherished her return. ‘It was really great to be back at Wimbledon,’ Williams expressed in a statement, noting that the experience was beyond her expectations.
Williams lost the match 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 against Joint but showcased powerful serves exceeding 120 mph. Her movement faced challenges, allowing Joint to capitalize on points beyond Williams’ reach. This match marked Williams’ first singles appearance since the 2022 U.S. Open, following two doubles matches to announce her comeback.
Maya Joint expressed her admiration for Williams, ‘She has such an aura, she’s just a legend.’ Joint secured her first Wimbledon win with this match, knowing her way around grass courts.
While Serena Williams is without a singles ranking now, Wimbledon organizers granted her wild card entries for both singles and doubles matches with sister Venus. A doubles match is still on the horizon. Williams noted her daughters’ presence as a motivating factor for her return. Her daughters, Olympia and Adira, cheered from the front row.
The crowd warmly welcomed Williams, delivering a standing ovation as she entered Centre Court. Supporters held signs reading ‘Welcome Back,’ with one fan sporting a ‘Unstoppable Queen’ T-shirt.
Demonstrating skill, Williams executed a topspin lob winner and hit a 121 mph ace in the first set. However, an unfortunate double-fault led to a setback. In the second set, Williams saved match points and secured her set victory with a fiery serve clocked at 122 mph. Although she advanced to a third set, Joint eventually secured the win after 2 hours and 22 minutes of competitive play.
Elsewhere at Wimbledon, top players advanced to further rounds. No. 1-seeds Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka won their games, with Alexander Zverev and Iga Swiatek also moving forward. Zverev defeated Alexander Blockx after a tense battle, while Swiatek overcame service challenges against Taylor Townsend.
No. 2 Elena Rybakina triumphed over Lois Boisson, navigating a three-set match. Meanwhile, Ben Shelton faced an early exit, losing to Otto Virtanen. In an emotional game, Matteo Berrettini beat Stan Wawrinka, marking Wawrinka’s final Wimbledon appearance as he plans retirement.
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