Serena Williams was back playing at Wimbledon at the age of 44 but the 23-time Grand Slam winner was sent packing in the first round on Centre Court22:00, 30 Jun 2026Updated 22:00, 30 Jun 2026Late in the third set, Serena Williams took a long look at her loved ones, searching for one last dose of inspiration.‌They tried, she tried, but it could not be found. The occasion was emotional, it was lovely that her children saw their mum play on the grandest stage in tennis - the stage she owned with such majesty for so long - but to go deep into a Grand Slam tournament after four years away from the singles game was always going to be a near-impossible task.‌As it turned out, getting through the first round proved to be too steep a challenge.‌That was not to say Williams’ 3-6 7-6 3-6 defeat was not a special event. There were moments of brilliance from the 44-year-old, examples of her matchless determination, the occasional blockbuster shot, and a wonderfully spirited fightback.But Maya Joint was just a bit too good and too young, simple as that. It was certainly an evening Joint and those lucky enough to have tickets will not forget.They closed the roof for the return of the Centre Court queen, presumably so it could be raised when she made her entrance. Even the Royal Box cut their early supper short and was full for the comeback that gave Wimbledon some badly-needed stardust.‌But the ovation for Williams - watched by her husband Alexis Ohanian and daughters Olympia and Adira, not to mention sister Venus - went unacknowledged by the seven-time champion. Not out of rudeness, of course. But this was business. This was no exhibition. This was no gimmick.Williams knew she had to be focused, even against an opponent who has had a rough year. After all, the last time Williams had won a match on Centre Court was in 2019, the year in which she lost the final to Simona Halep. And she had not played a singles match in four years.‌For all the anticipation, for all the excitement, for all the Grand Slam titles she has accrued - 23 in all - this was always going to be a monumental challenge for Williams, whoever she faced. And to say Williams was ring-rusty would be the sporting understatement of the year.Joint was making her Centre Court debut, is ranked 87th in the world and had lost 13 of her last 14 matches. But the Australian has been a top-30 player and had the small matter of a 24-year age advantage. And you could certainly tell.Quicker around the court, and playing her best tennis of a disappointing 2026, Joint was pretty much always in control of the opening set. The 20-year-old was, though, aided by plenty of errors from Williams, who showed only the occasional flash of her all-conquering power.Article continues belowThrow in a couple of double faults, and at times Williams looked as though she was wondering if all this had been such a good idea.But it was no surprise that she fought every step of the way, no surprise that she clenched her fist and got the crowd going, no surprise that she levelled the match in the second-set tiebreak.But while the mindset was familiar, age meant the movement was not, and after Joint closed out the third set 6-3, all that was left was for Williams to get a fully-deserved, rapturous and grateful farewell from the fans she delighted for so many years.