Serena Williams falls in Wimbledon return after nearly 4 years

Serena Williams showed plenty of what made her a 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion in her first professional singles match in nearly four years on Tuesday.

The 44-year-old Williams wasn’t quite able to dominate like she used to, though, and was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by an opponent less than half her age, 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia, in the opening round of Wimbledon.

Williams displayed the same powerful serve and heavy groundstrokes that led her to seven Wimbledon singles titles but the 87th-ranked Joint was able to handle the American standout’s pace and win more of the big points by hitting beyond Williams’ reach on Centre Court.

While Williams played two doubles matches just before Wimbledon to announce her comeback to the sport she once dominated, she hadn’t played a singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open.

Williams has a record 98 career victories in singles on the hallowed grass of the All England Club. By contrast, it was Joint’s first Wimbledon victory in just her second appearance at the All England Club after losing in the opening round last year.

But Joint won a Wimbledon warmup in nearby Eastbourne last year and knows how to play on grass.

Williams, who has no singles ranking after being out for so long, was given wild card invitations by Wimbledon organizers to play singles and also doubles with older sister Venus. Her doubles match will come later in the week.

Williams has said that having her two daughters off from school inspired her comeback and it marked the first time that her youngest daughter, Adria, who is almost three, saw her play singles. Adira sat next to her eight-year-old sister, Olympia in the front row of Serena’s players’ box.