Serena Williams marked her return to singles competition at Wimbledon on Tuesday, facing Maya Joint in the first round. Her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and their daughters, Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2, were present in the stands to support her.[IMAGE2]
Williams's most recent Grand Slam singles title was the 2017 Australian Open, which she won while pregnant with Olympia. That victory marked her record 23rd Grand Slam singles title. Williams and Ohanian married later that year.
Also present in Williams's player's box was her sister, Venus Williams. The sisters are scheduled to compete together in the Wimbledon ladies' doubles tournament, beginning Thursday. The pair has previously won the Wimbledon doubles title six times and has secured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together.
Williams was ultimately eliminated from the singles tournament in a three-set match, losing to Australia's Maya Joint with a score of 3-6, 7-6(8), 3-6.[IMAGE1]
This Wimbledon appearance follows Williams's recent return to professional play earlier this month at Queen's Club. There, she partnered with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in doubles, marking her first professional match since 2022. The pair defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2.
Shortly after her return at Queen's Club, it was announced that the Williams sisters would team up for doubles at Wimbledon for the first time in a decade. Their combined Grand Slam doubles titles total 14, adding to Serena's overall count of 39 major titles, which includes two mixed doubles championships.
When asked about her return to competition earlier this month, the 44-year-old Williams offered a straightforward explanation: "Well, why not? For lack of a better explanation," she stated. Williams is set to continue her participation in the doubles competition at Wimbledon this week.