When Wimbledon began nearly two weeks ago, all eyes were on Serena Williams.
After a four-year absence from the Grand Slams, the 44-year-old returned on a wild card and lost in three sets to 20-year-old Maya Joint in the first round. Days later, she withdrew from the first round of doubles with her sister, Venus, due to a knee injury she sustained during her match with Joint.
It was a disappointing end for Serena, who, alongside Venus, used to dominate Wimbledon, splitting 12 of the 17 women’s singles titles between 2000 and 2016. They also won six doubles championships in that period.
But since the pair aged out of their primes, women’s tennis has become far less predictable.
The last player to win consecutive Grand Slams was Naomi Osaka (2020 US Open and 2021 Australian Open). And as Wimbledon enters its women’s singles final Saturday, the post-Williams story continues.
