LONDON — Serena Williams’s return was the story of the day at Wimbledon on Tuesday. But she was unable to deliver a victory for the London crowd.
Williams, 44, took Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Tuesday for her first singles match since the 2022 US Open and was greeted by raucous cheers. However, the pro-Williams crowd could not carry her as she fell in three sets (6–3, 6–7, 6–3) to Maya Joint, a 20-year-old Australian.
Williams’s return to competition began in doubles earlier this month at the HSBC Championships with Victoria Mboko. The duo won their opening-round match but withdrew after Mboko sustained an injury.
At the Berlin Open the following week, Williams teamed with Karolína Muchová, but the two lost their first match.
It was widely expected the last remaining singles wild-card slot at Wimbledon was being held for her, but not made official until one week before the tournament.
