If that is the level of your first match back, imagine if she plays a bit more.
At Wimbledon on a Tuesday evening, Serena Williams returned to singles competition for the first time in four years, meeting not only Australia's Maya Joint across the net but the accumulated weight of time itself. The 44-year-old showed enough brilliance — a second set reclaimed, a match point saved, a serve still capable of exceeding 120 miles per hour — to remind the world what she once was, and enough struggle to confirm that the body does not pause while the spirit waits. She lost 6-3, 7-6, 6-3, but the deeper question the match posed was not about this afternoon's score: it was about whether a great champion can negotiate the distance between who she was and who she is now, and whether the attempt itself carries its own kind of meaning.
- A four-year absence from singles competition meant Williams arrived at Centre Court with her weapons intact but her match sharpness visibly eroded — she managed only five winners in a first set that slipped away 6-3.
- The crowd's hunger for her return was palpable, but it seemed to tighten rather than free her, with analysts noting she was holding back in her shots, breathing tight, conviction wavering under the weight of wanting it too much.
- The second set offered a genuine resurrection: her first-serve percentage climbed to 63 percent, her winner count tripled, and she saved a match point with a serve clocked above 120 miles per hour before taking the tiebreak 8-6.
- The third set exposed what could not be hidden — laboured movement, fatigue, and a body that had played only two doubles matches before this moment, leaving her rooted as Joint's 15 winners flew past.
- Experts now point toward the US Open as the real test, warning that more competitive matches are essential and that hard-court opponents hitting flat and hard will further expose the movement limitations Joint had already found.
Serena Williams closed her eyes as she walked onto Centre Court, absorbing the roar of a crowd that had waited four years for this moment. When she opened them and smiled, the comeback nobody had been quite sure would happen had officially begun.
Facing Australia's Maya Joint in her first singles match since 2022, the 44-year-old American started tentatively. Her groundstrokes and serve — the weapons behind 23 Grand Slam titles — misfired in the tension of the occasion. She managed only five winners in the first set, and Joint took it 6-3 with relative comfort. Four years away had left marks that practice alone could not erase.
The second set was different. Williams found her rhythm, forced errors, lifted her first-serve percentage to 63 percent, and tripled her winner count to 17. When a match point arrived, she produced the serve that had always been her escape — over 120 miles per hour — forced a tiebreak, and won it 8-6. For a moment, the player she had been felt very close.
The third set told a harder truth. Joint returned with 15 winners while Williams managed four. Fatigue crept in, movement became a liability, and the Australian closed out 6-3. Laura Robson, analysing for BBC Television, had noticed something earlier: in the first set especially, Williams seemed to want it so badly she was forgetting to release into her shots. Pat Cash, meanwhile, was clear that Joint had simply handled the pace better — but added that with more matches, Williams would be a real handful for anyone.
The US Open now looms — her home Slam, the place where four years ago she played what everyone assumed was her farewell. Whether her body can sustain competitive play at this level remains the central question. But as Annabel Croft observed, if that is the standard of a first match back after four years, the possibility of what comes next is worth taking seriously.
Serena Williams closed her eyes as she walked onto Centre Court, absorbing the roar of a crowd that had waited four years to see her play singles again. When she opened them and smiled, it was the first moment of a comeback nobody was quite sure would happen—or what it would look like if it did.
On Tuesday evening, the 44-year-old American faced Australia's Maya Joint in her first singles match since 2022. The opening was tentative. Williams managed only five winners in the first set, her heavy groundstrokes and serve—the weapons that had built a 23-Grand Slam legacy—misfiring in the tension of the moment. She registered just two aces. Joint took the set 6-3, and it was clear that four years away had left marks that no amount of practice could fully erase before stepping back into competition.
But something shifted in the second set. Williams began to find her rhythm, forcing errors from Joint's racket, lifting her first-serve percentage to 63 percent, and tripling her winner count to 17. When a match point arrived, she summoned the serve that had always been her escape hatch—clocking speeds over 120 miles per hour—and forced a tiebreak. She won it 8-6, pulling the match level and proving to herself, if no one else, that the player she had been was still somewhere inside.
The third set told a different story. Joint, a bright talent who had weathered the storm, came back with 15 winners while Williams managed four. Fatigue crept in. Her movement, which had looked laboured throughout, became a liability. She found herself either off-balance or rooted to the court as Joint's shots passed her by. The Australian won 6-3, and Williams' comeback match ended in defeat.
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash noted on BBC Radio that what unfolded was two players performing at a high level, with Joint simply handling the pace better. "Serena played an incredible level," he said. "If she wants to play this way and play some more tennis, she is going to be a real handful." Laura Robson, analyzing for BBC Television, identified something more subtle: Williams was holding back. In the first set especially, she seemed to want it so badly that she was forgetting to release into her shots, her breathing tight, her conviction wavering.
The loss stung—Williams has never hidden that she hates losing more than she loves winning. But the flashes mattered too. She had only played two doubles matches before this singles return, meaning her body had barely adjusted to the demands of competitive play. More matches would be needed, particularly if she faced opponents on hard courts who hit the ball flat and hard, exposing the movement issues that Joint had already found.
The US Open looms next—her home Slam, the place where four years ago she played what everyone assumed would be her final singles match. She beat Anett Kontaveit that night on Arthur Ashe Stadium in front of a packed, star-studded crowd. Annabel Croft, another former British number one, wondered aloud whether Williams' body could sustain this level of play, and what she would feel the morning after. But she also offered a thought that hung in the air: "If that is the level of your first match back, imagine if she plays a bit more." The question now is whether Williams will get the chance to find out.
Notable Quotes
Serena played an incredible level. If she wants to play this way and play some more tennis, she is going to be a real handful.— Pat Cash, former Wimbledon champion
If that is the level of your first match back, imagine if she plays a bit more.— Annabel Croft, former British number one
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What struck you most about watching her play?
The gap between what she wanted to do and what her body could deliver. She knew the shots. The serve was still there—120 miles per hour. But the legs weren't moving the same way, and you could see her thinking about it, which is the worst thing that can happen to a player.
Did she look like she regretted coming back?
Not at all. By the second set, she was fighting. She saved a match point. That's not someone having doubts. That's someone who still hates losing more than anything else.
But she lost anyway.
She did. And that matters to her in a way it wouldn't matter to most people. But Joint was genuinely good—sharp, mentally tough. This wasn't a gift match.
What does she need now?
Time on court. Real matches, not practice. Her body needs to remember what it feels like to compete for three sets, four times a week. She's had four years away. You can't simulate that.
Is the US Open realistic?
It's her home Slam. She played there four years ago and the crowds were electric. If she can get a few more matches in, build her conditioning, I wouldn't count her out. But her movement has to improve, and that takes repetition.
So this loss—is it the end or the beginning?
It's neither. It's the first step. Nobody expected her to win Wimbledon. They just wanted to see if she could still play. She can. The question is whether she wants to keep going.