LONDON — Serena Williams showed plenty of what made her a 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion in her first professional singles match in nearly four years on Tuesday.
The 44-year-old Williams wasn't quite able to dominate like she used to, though, and was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by an opponent less than half her age, 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia, in the opening round of Wimbledon.
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here,” Williams, who did not meet with media after the match, said in a statement released by Wimbledon organizers. “The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”
Williams displayed the same powerful serve and heavy groundstrokes that led her to seven Wimbledon singles titles but the 87th-ranked Joint was able to handle the American standout’s pace and win more of the big points by hitting beyond Williams' reach on Centre Court.
“I don’t know what just happened, to be honest,” Joint said. “I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was up until like 2 a.m. just thinking about it.
“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.”
While Williams played two doubles matches just before Wimbledon to announce her comeback to the sport she once dominated, she hadn't played a singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open.
Williams has 98 career victories in singles on the hallowed grass of the All England Club. By contrast, it was Joint’s first Wimbledon victory in just her second appearance at the All England Club after losing in the opening round last year.
But Joint won a Wimbledon warmup in nearby Eastbourne last year and knows how to play on grass.
Doubles match still to come
Williams, who has no singles ranking after being out for so long, was given wild card invitations by Wimbledon organizers to play singles and also doubles with older sister Venus. Her doubles match will come later in the week.
Williams has said that having her two daughters off from school inspired her comeback and it marked the first time that her youngest daughter, Adira, who is almost three, saw her play singles. Adira sat next to her 8-year-old sister, Olympia in the front row of Serena's players' box.
Standing ovation
Williams was given a standing ovation as she walked on court before the match started under a closed roof and several supporters held up signs with messages like “Welcome Back” and one wore a T-shirt with the text “Unstoppable Queen.”
Williams executed a delicate topspin lob winner early on and then cranked out a 121 mph ace to hold for 3-3 in the first set. But Williams also had a costly double-fault which led to the only break of the first set.
In the second set, Williams came back from 0-40 and saved four break points to hold for 6-5. Then Williams saved a match point in the tiebreaker with a big serve down the T followed by a forehand approach winner. Another big serve -- clocking in at 122 mph – set up Serena’s first set point, which she converted when Joint missed a forehand long.
After winning the set, Williams pumped her fist calmly.
But Joint took control early in the third and a forehand from Williams sailed long on Joint’s third match point to conclude the encounter after 2 hours, 22 minutes.
Williams then smiled as she walked off the court to loud applause.
Williams and Joint both had 37 unforced errors, while Joint led 40-26 in winners.
Zverev and Swiatek advance
After the opening day featured wins for No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, along with Novak Djokovic, French Open champion Alexander Zverev and defending Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek made it into the second round on Tuesday.
In a match between hard servers, the second-seeded Zverev beat Alexander Blockx 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (0).
Swiatek, who had her father and sister looking on from the Royal Box, struggled with her serve and committed nine double-faults before overcoming Taylor Townsend 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
No. 2 Elena Rybakina also advanced, beating Lois Boisson 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
Fourth-seeded Ben Shelton, a quarterfinalist here last year, lost to 140th-ranked Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen in five sets, going out 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9).
Also, 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini beat Stan Wawrinka 6-7 (7), 7-6 (16), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5). It was the final Wimbledon match for Wawrinka, who plans to retire at the end of the year.
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AP Sports Writers Mattias Karen and Ken Maguire contributed to this report.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis