Australian tennis player Maya Joint is set to face Serena Williams in the first round of Wimbledon, a draw she described as a surreal "pinch me" moment. The 20-year-old Queensland representative will make her Grand Slam singles debut on Centre Court against Williams, who is launching her highly anticipated comeback.
"I was surprised, I was excited. I never thought I would get to play against her," Joint said. "She stopped playing when I was starting on the circuit, so yes, when I saw she received the invitation, I think there was a small part of me that always wanted to experience playing against her."
Joint admitted she initially thought her coach was joking when he informed her of the draw. The reality of facing Williams only sank in after receiving a message from Australian tennis great Sam Stosur, who has become a mentor to Joint.
"Then Sam Stosur messaged me saying I would play against Serena Williams. Okay, great. I think it's a 'pinch me' moment," Joint stated.
Joint, born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to an Australian father and German mother, moved to Australia at 16 to train at Tennis Australia's National Academy in Brisbane. She pursued professional tennis full-time after an eligibility dispute regarding US Open prize money, a decision that marked a turning point in her career.
She experienced a significant breakthrough in 2025, climbing from outside the world's top 600 to the top 40 within a year and securing two WTA titles. Joint became the youngest Australian to win a W75 singles title and reached a career-high world ranking of No. 28 in February of this year. Her momentum has recently slowed, with a series of defeats causing her ranking to slide to No. 87 heading into Wimbledon.
During this challenging period, Joint has relied on Stosur, the 2011 US Open champion, for support. Stosur, a former world No. 4, believes Joint is well-prepared for the occasion.
"I was trying to make sure she understood that nearly every player has been through what she's been suffering," Stosur commented. "She had such an incredible rise from 24 months ago, moving up from 600 in the rankings to the top 40 within a year, that it was all upwards then. It was always going to be a little bit of a challenge, potentially, to make that happen the second year round."
Stosur views Joint's recent struggles as a normal part of a young player's development. "Everyone's been through tough times in their career, but she'll bounce back, absolutely, no doubt in my mind, whatever happens in this match," she said. "My message to her would be 'don't make it too complicated'. At the end of the day, it's still just lines and a ball that you have to hit in - so enjoy that, embrace that. There's going to be no bigger match than this for Maya - so go out there and love it."
