June 26, 2026 — 9:15pm
Serena Williams faced an Australian in her last singles match almost four years ago and her comeback at Wimbledon will begin the same way.
Australia’s top-ranked woman, Michigan-born Maya Joint, has drawn the American legend in the first round in what is certain to be the most-watched – and biggest – match of the 20-year-old’s life.
Joint has endured a challenging season, winning just one match since reaching the quarter-finals in Adelaide in January while dealing with injuries, in particular to her back.
Three years and nine months after Ajla Tomljanovic appeared to have ended Williams’ career, she is back as a 44-year-old mother-of-two trying to add to her incredible legacy, even if she says she has nothing to prove.
