After a four-year retirement, 44-year-old Serena Williams returned to Grand Slam singles competition on Tuesday night on Wimbledon’s Center Court against 20-year-old Australian Maya Joynt. The tension was evident on both sides, but in the end Joint was able to defeat the legend in three sets (6-3, 6-7, 6-3) and spoil his comeback.
Williams played doubles in two warm-up events, but Tuesday’s nightcap on center court was her first singles match since 2022. The big question was how quickly Williams could shake off the rust and what the 23-time Grand Slam champion had left in the tank after being away from the court for so long.
She showed early positive signs, holding serve with relative ease in her first three service games and poking around a bit on her joint serve to create two break points in the seventh game of the match. But after failing to convert that chance into the game’s first lead, it was Williams who lit up. A double fault in her next service game gave Joint the first break of the match to take a 5-3 lead, and even though she was forced to deuce, she held her serve and won the first set 6-3.
The second set was chaotic, with Joynt and Williams exchanging breaks and momentum swinging back and forth. Both players had chances to consolidate breaks and take control of the set, but neither could capitalize as tensions rose on Center Court.
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The 11th game of the set, which was tied at 5-5 on Williams’ service game, was an example of rough swings by both players as they struggled to get and maintain any semblance of control. Joint came out on top at 0-40, grabbed three break points, and almost won the match. Williams dug deep and charged back to tie the score with a deuce, gaining the advantage three times before finally delivering his first serve to close out the return of the joint.
Joint easily held his final service game and deservedly took the chaotic set to a tiebreak. The pair traded serves back and forth, and when Joynt had her first match point at 6-5 on Williams’ serve, Legend came up with her best serve on the tee and hit a winner from the net to stay alive. When it was Williams’ turn to lead on set point 7-6, she seized the opportunity and forced the joint into a long rally that ultimately gave the Australian a one-point lead.
The Joint appeared to be teetering on the verge of collapse early in the third set. Williams grabbed an early break and looked like he was going to walk away with it, but as soon as Williams took control, he saw everything slip away. The 20-year-old was persistent and found a quick breakback to re-level the set at 2-2, shifting the pressure back onto Williams and holding serve.
Williams lost his next service game to Love, failing to consolidate an early break and all wind was taken out of him. Serena would hold in her next service game, but she never created the break point opportunities needed to extend the match in the joint’s next two service games. Joynt would nerve-wrack her serve and secure her first Wimbledon victory against the greatest player of all time.
Williams is scheduled to play doubles at Wimbledon with her sister Venus later this week, which should alleviate some of the issues that plagued her at the joint. She struggled to cover the entire court in the joint matches, but when the Australian was able to move things from the middle of the court and force Williams to the edge, she was able to create an advantage and produce a winner. Still, the way Williams fought to win the second set was impressive, and the effort it took to get back on that stage and prove she still had the game was impressive.
