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Serena Williams’ highly anticipated return to Wimbledon ended in disappointment on Tuesday as the American tennis icon suffered a first-round singles defeat to Australia’s Maya Joint.
Williams, competing in her first singles match in four years, was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 by the 20-year-old Australian on Centre Court after a two-hour and 22-minute contest.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion received a warm reception from the crowd as she returned to the tournament where she built much of her legendary career. However, despite showing moments of her former brilliance, the 44-year-old was unable to overcome the challenge.
Joint, ranked No. 87 in the world, remained composed throughout the match and secured one of the biggest victories of her career. She broke Williams late in the first set and maintained control early in the second before the American fought back to force a deciding set.
Williams displayed her trademark fighting spirit in the second-set tie-break, saving a match point before leveling the contest. The comeback briefly appeared possible when she earned an early break in the final set, but Joint responded strongly and won key games to regain control.
After the defeat, Williams said she was grateful for the opportunity to return to Wimbledon.
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here,” Williams said in a statement. “The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”
Williams’ last Grand Slam appearance came at the 2022 US Open, where her third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic appeared to mark the end of her professional singles career. She had previously said she was “evolving away” from tennis.
The former world No. 1 returned to competition earlier this year, motivated in part by a desire to play in front of her children. She participated in doubles events before accepting a wildcard entry into the Wimbledon singles draw.
Although her singles campaign has ended, Williams will continue competing at Wimbledon in the doubles event alongside her sister Venus Williams.
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