Serena Williams’s Wimbledon comeback has ended in the first round.
Australia’s Maya Joint defeated the six-time champion in three sets (6-3, 6-7 and 6-3) on Tuesday.
The match was the 44-year-old Williams’s first since the 2022 US Open in which she lost in the third round.
Williams returned to competitive tennis earlier this month as a wild-card doubles entry at Queen’s Club Championships alongside Burlington, Ont.’s Vicky Mboko, making her first appearance on a court in 1,375 days. The duo advanced to the quarters of the tournament, but were forced to retire due to a knee injury to Mboko. The injury was severe enough to keep the 19-year-old World No. 9 out of Wimbledon.
A native of Saginaw, MI, Williams turned pro in 1995 and would go on to win 23 Grand Slams, the second most in history behind only Margaret Court.
Joint, 20, is playing in her third Wimbledon main draw. Representing Australia, Joint was also born in Michigan.
