TENNIS – Serena Williams’ highly anticipated return to competitive action after a four-year absence fizzled out yesterday as the American perished in the Wimbledon first round following a 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 defeat by little-known Australian Maya Joint.
There were high hopes that the 44-year-old wildcard would become the oldest woman to win a singles match at the All England Club since Martina Navratilova achieved the feat aged 47 in 2004, but Joint had other ideas.
The 20-year-old Joint, who was not even born when Williams won the first seven of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, blocked out all the hullabaloo surrounding her opponent’s comeback to produce the most notable victory of her fledgling career.
Joint walked on to Centre Court on the back of winning just one match in her last 12 tournaments but by the time she walked off, she was basking in the glory of delivering a brutal knockout blow to one of the greats of the sport.
Even when Joint was denied a chance to close out the contest after earning a match point in the second set tiebreak, she did not let that setback rattle her confidence or throw her off stride.
Around 45 minutes later she was holding aloft her arms in victory after Williams ended one of the most talked about comebacks in sporting history by swiping a service return long.
It is not like Williams had been leading a humdrum life since she chose to “evolve away” from tennis four years ago.
As a globe-trotting woman who juggles running a venture capital company with her duties as a mother of two, she made sure that her life kept buzzing away from the grand tennis arenas she had called home for more than two decades.
Only problem was that for a champion who was addicted to that “winning feeling”, it seems life away from tennis just could not match the adrenaline rush that would surge through her veins every time she belted the ball away to secure one of her 23 Grand Slam singles trophies.
Thanks to her insatiable appetite for success, Williams evolved back into singles action at Wimbledon.
Her surprise return as a wildcard has gripped fans and players alike in the run-up to the tournament, with Novak Djokovic calling her comeback “inspirational” and “epic”.
Since contesting her last singles match at the 2022 US Open, the American has become a mother for a second time and has made no secret of using weight-loss drugs to shed 34 pounds (15 kg).
Looking leaner and fitter than she did in 2022, the American is keen to impress daughters Olympia and Adira as she begins the latest chapter in what is already a phenomenal career.
Williams made her Wimbledon debut in 1998 and won the last of her seven Wimbledon singles crowns 10 years ago. She is also due to play doubles at the championships with her older sister Venus.
Meanwhile, Eighth seed Elina Svitolina was sent spinning out of in the opening round after a 7-5 6-2 defeat by fellow Ukrainian Daria Snigur as her wait for a maiden Grand Slam title was extended.
Second seed and 2022 champion Elena Rybakina survived a first round scare against French debutant Lois Boisson to grind out an unconvincing 6-4 1-6 6-3 win.
Boisson, who enjoyed a fairytale run to the French Open semi-finals last year but was knocked out in the first round this year, was helped by an error-strewn performance by the Russian-born Kazakh ranked 152 places above her.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek overcame a serious second-set wobble to reach the second round, beating powerful American Taylor Townsend 6-1 2-6 6-3.
Fifth seed Alex de Minaur progressed to the second round with a commanding victory over Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga. After edging a tight opening-set tiebreak, the Australian took complete control, conceding just one game across the final two sets to seal a 7-6(5) 6-1 6-0 win.
Britain’s woeful start to Wimbledon continued as Katie Boulter became the 11th home player to crash out in the first round, crumbling to a 6-4 6-2 defeat to Grand Slam debutant Tyra Caterina Grant.
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