Valiant Serena beaten on Wimbledon return, Swiatek survives scare

Serena Williams' highly anticipated return to singles tennis at Wimbledon ended in a dramatic first-round defeat against inspired Australian youngster Maya Joint. The 44-year-old American legend, playing her first professional singles match since stepping away from the sport in 2022, succumbed to a 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 loss on Centre Court.

Williams showed flashes of her former brilliance, even saving a match point in the second set to force a decider. However, she ultimately ran out of steam after breaking serve first in the final set. This marks her third consecutive first-round exit at the All England Club, having suffered the same fate in 2021 and four years prior.

"I didn’t get much sleep last night, I was up until 2:00 am last night just thinking about it," said the 20-year-old Joint, who admitted to feeling nervous at the start. "Trying to close out the match, she definitely raised her level."

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, was given a rousing reception by the crowd, who held up "Welcome Back" signs and wore "Unstoppable Queen" t-shirts. She became the second-oldest player to compete in the Wimbledon women's singles in the Open era. While the crowd's support was palpable, it wasn't enough to secure a victory. Williams will now turn her attention to the women's doubles, where she will partner with her sister Venus.

In other Wimbledon news, defending champion Iga Swiatek survived a scare, battling past Taylor Townsend 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. Meanwhile, Ben Shelton was unexpectedly dumped out of the tournament, while Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur progressed with straight-sets victories.

“

I didn’t get much sleep last night, I was up until 2:00 am last night just thinking about it. The start was was very nerve-wracking. Trying to close out the match, she definitely raised her level.