Serena Williams produced moments of vintage brilliance, but her long-awaited return to competitive tennis after a four-year absence ended in disappointment as the former world No. 1 fell 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to little-known Australian Maya Joint in the Wimbledon first round.
There were hopes the 44-year-old would become the oldest woman to win a singles match at the All England Club since Martina Navratilova achieved the feat at age 47 in 2004. Instead, Joint spoiled the comeback with a fearless display.
The 20-year-old Australian, who was not yet born when Williams won the first seven of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, shut out the buzz surrounding one of the sport’s most anticipated returns and delivered the biggest victory of her young career.
Joint arrived on Centre Court having won just one match in her previous 12 tournaments. She left with a career-defining upset, toppling one of tennis’ greatest champions and ending Williams’ comeback almost as soon as it began.
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything,” Williams said, noting she won the last of her seven All England Club titles a decade ago.
“I don’t know what just happened, to be honest,” Joint told the Centre Court crowd.
“I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid, so this is pretty crazy.”
Wearing headphones, Williams was greeted by a deafening roar as she stepped back onto one of tennis’ biggest stages after 1,462 days away.
Her sister Venus was among those in the crowd, standing to film the reception that greeted Serena’s entrance under a closed Centre Court roof. Her daughters Olympia and Adira also watched on.
Fellow American great John McEnroe said courtside he was stunned by the moment, calling the atmosphere “insane.”
Williams had not been leading a quiet life since she stepped away from tennis four years ago.
The globe-trotting former champion has balanced motherhood with running a venture capital firm, while staying active away from the sport she dominated for more than two decades.
Still, for a player long driven by the thrill of winning, life outside competition never fully replaced the adrenaline of center court battles and Grand Slam trophies.
She returned to singles action on Tuesday, accepting a wildcard into the tournament.
Playing her first competitive singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open, Williams appeared to be searching for rhythm early, as the 87th-ranked Australian came out aggressively in the opening set.
McEnroe, who called Williams “the GOAT” and one of the greatest athletes in any sport, said before the match he was eager to see her back in action.
Williams rallied late, saving match point and forcing a second-set tiebreak, where she unleashed a 122 mph serve to extend the contest.
But Joint held firm.
Roughly 45 minutes later, she sealed the victory when Williams sent a service return long, ending one of the most talked-about comeback attempts in recent tennis memory.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was up until 2:00 a.m. just thinking about walking out,” Joint said.
“My legs weren’t moving. She has such an aura, she’s such a legend. I really don’t know how I got such a good start in the match.”
She will next face Filipino 29th seed Alexandra Eala.
