Serena Williams, the 44-year-old holder of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, will compete in Wimbledon singles for the first time since the 2022 US Open when she faces Maya Joint on Tuesday. The American, who described herself as nervous ahead of the match, said a major factor discouraging her return was tennis's anti-doping whereabouts system, calling it "unprofessional" and "unreasonable" given the demands of her schedule as a mother of two and head of multiple businesses; the International Tennis Integrity Agency responded that the rules have not changed in several years and are designed to protect players, not penalise them. Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, acknowledged she has nothing to lose and cited a desire to show her daughters what it means to compete on the sport's biggest stage, though analysts note she faces a challenging draw that could pit her against rising stars and eventually defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Mosaic News
Serena Williams returns to Wimbledon singles after nearly four-year absence, criticises anti-doping rules[Updated]
Williams lost her first-round match 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to 20-year-old Maya Joint, the 87th-ranked Australian who claimed her first Wimbledon singles victory in only her second appearance at the All England Club. Williams saved a match point in the second set and won the tiebreak to force a deciding third, but her forehand misfired repeatedly and she struggled to win the big points, with Joint consistently hitting the ball beyond her reach on Centre Court. Despite the defeat, Williams drew roars from the sold-out crowd with an ace approaching 200 kilometres per hour, and Novak Djokovic, who had remarked at a press conference that he had never seen Williams train so hard in the gym, called her comeback "inspiring" and "epic." Williams, who holds a record 98 career singles victories on Wimbledon's grass, will remain in the tournament through her doubles partnership with sister Venus, with that match scheduled later in the week.