Serena Williams put up a remarkable effort in her first singles match in nearly four years, but the 23-time Grand Slam champion came up just short against Maya Joint at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Williams, 44, thrilled the crowd on Centre Court with some vintage shot-making throughout the highly anticipated contest.
But it was Joint, the 20-year-old Australian, who held her nerve in the biggest match of her young career to claim a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory on tennis’ most famous stage.
“I don’t know what just happened,” Joint, almost in a daze, said during her on-court interview immediately after the contest. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.
“She has such an aura, she’s just a legend and this court has so many huge names that have played on it,” Joint added. “I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid, so this is pretty crazy.”
Williams was appearing her first singles match since the 2022 US Open, where she lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic.