Serena Williams is slated to make her highly anticipated return to Grand Slam singles tennis at Wimbledon, where she will compete against Australian emerging player Maya Joint in the opening round. Williams, a seven-time champion at the All England Club, accepted a wild card for the tournament, marking her first singles match since her third-round defeat at the 2022 US Open.
Williams, 44, has not played singles since that match, which many had speculated could be the conclusion of her career. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has been training on Wimbledon's grass courts in preparation for her comeback. She recently returned to competition in doubles earlier this month, playing at Queen's Club and the Berlin Open.
Her opponent, 20-year-old Maya Joint, born in Michigan but representing Australia through her father, is currently ranked world No. 53. Joint has experienced a challenging period, winning only one of her last 14 matches. Despite this, she expressed her excitement and honor in facing Williams, whom she idolized growing up.
"It's an honour. I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams, and if you told me 10 years ago that I'd be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that's just crazy. I have so much respect for her, she was one of my idols growing up," Joint stated.
Joint also shared that fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, the last player to defeat Williams in singles, offered her encouragement. "I talked to Ajla this morning, and she gave me a little pep talk, which was nice. She told me I can beat anyone, and Serena will be just as nervous, probably, coming back in her first match at Wimbledon," Joint said.
Williams has not secured a Grand Slam singles title since the 2017 Australian Open. Her stated intention upon stepping away from singles after the 2022 US Open was to "evolve away" from the sport. Her return has been partly motivated by a desire to compete in front of her two daughters. Williams is also scheduled to play doubles at Wimbledon with her sister, Venus Williams, with whom she has won six doubles titles at the tournament.
Should Williams advance past Joint, she could face 29th seed Alexandra Eala of the Philippines in the second round, potentially setting up a third-round encounter with defending champion Iga Swiatek.
In other Wimbledon draw news, top seed Aryna Sabalenka will face Teodora Kostovic, while Emma Raducanu is set to play Antonia Ruzic amidst fitness concerns. In the men's draw, defending champion Jannik Sinner opens against Miomir Kecmanovic. Novak Djokovic will begin his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title against Wu Yibing. Carlos Alcaraz will miss the tournament due to a wrist injury.