Serena Williams at Wimbledon: How 23-Time Major Winner Fared in First Singles Match in Four Years

Joint defeated Williams in three, thrilling sets in the 23-time major winner's first singles match in four years at Wimbledon. Here's how Williams fared.

Williams rallied hard to take the second set, but dropped in the third. | HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images

Well, that was fun.

After about four years away, Serena Williams made her grand return to Wimbledon on Tuesday, when she played 20-year-old Maya Joint in a thrilling first-round match at the All England Club. It was the 23-time Grand Slam winner’s first time playing a singles match since she retired in 2022, and boy, was it worth the wait.

Heading into the event, no one was really sure what might go down. Williams was believed to be the underdog, but not overwhelmingly so; it seemed possible that, given her background, the Queen could very well make a run. Grass is her season, after all.

In the end, however, it was Joint that would prove victorious. The No. 87-ranked-player impressed in only her second appearance at The Championships, when she defeated Williams 6-3, 6-7, 6-3. That effort looked even more astonishing when you consider how Joint had lost in the last 11 of her tour-level events, dating back to January.

But it wasn’t all bad news for Williams, either. Despite her rustiness (small mistakes proved incredibly consequential for the 44-year-old), she was not without her trademark fire and deadly serve, and never once let the match become a blowout. If Wimbledon is a precursor to another singles appearance at the U.S. Open, we are certainly in for a treat.

Ahead of the doubles draw, where Williams will play alongside her sister, Venus, let’s take a deeper look at the GOAT’s overall performance on Tuesday, including what she did well and where she went wrong.

The Positives

Let’s get one thing out of the way: If we could all play tennis like Williams just did, for two hours and 22 minutes, at 44 years young, in her first singles match in four years, we would consider ourselves lucky. Yes, there were times where Williams’s footwork appeared a bit awkward and her fundamentals a bit shaky, but the seven-time Wimbledon champion also came up with some incredible shots that transported us back to a time when she sat atop the sport.

If you look at the numbers, Williams didn’t serve particularly well, as she connected on just 59% of her first serves and had as many double faults as aces. But the big serve was there when she needed it— and the key word there is “big.” Williams hit serves as fast as 123 mph, and she was able to paint the lines at Centre Court. Make no mistake, that serve can still be a weapon. Williams, who won nine of 11 points at the net, was also surgical when approaching from the baseline. Her work at the net was a major positive from the match. But she especially stood out between the ears.

Mentally, Williams was up to the task during some of the toughest moments in the match, such as the second set tiebreak, when she staved off match point with a booming serve and a forehand down the line. It’s difficult enough to return to professional tennis after a four-year layoff, even more so to thrive under pressure with your back against the wall in a tiebreak at a Grand Slam event. If you were doubting whether Williams still had the championship resolve, doubt no more.

The Negatives

Williams’s first serves were dynamite when she was able to spin them in, but she wasn’t able to connect on enough of them to make a difference in the match. From the baseline, it seemed as if she was far more comfortable from the forehand side than the backhand, where she sprayed more shots wide and looked a bit awkward from a footwork standpoint.

If you’re looking for a turning point in the match, it was likely in the third set after Williams broke Joint to go up 2-1. Williams, on serve, was up 40-30 with a chance to go up 3-1, but the backhand failed her via an unforced error to even things at deuce. Joint, to her credit, then went big from the baseline, firing backhand and forehand winners past Williams to break back and even things at 2-all. That felt like a chance for Williams to seize control of the match, but she let it slip through her fingers. Ultimately, Williams ran out of gas physically in the third set, which isn’t necessarily surprising given her age and time away.

Final Thoughts

Give credit to Joint. She is 24 years younger than Williams, hasn’t enjoyed close to the same amount of success as her legendary opponent, and came into Tuesday’s event on an 11-match losing streak. But she took the fight to Williams more often than not on the baseline and was even able to overpower the 23-time major winner—no small feat. This is a massive win for Joint’s confidence and psyche. As for Williams, it’s impossible to be unimpressed by her return to the tennis court. She proved to herself that she can still play tennis at the highest level, and is nothing short of an inspiration to her peers, her two daughters and tennis fans around the world. Williams may have lost Tuesday’s match, but she won in so many other ways instead.

Serena Williams vs. Maya Joint Wimbledon first round match as it happened

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