Queen returned, but faltered right away – Serena Williams stopped in the first round of Wimbledon
Four years later, Serena Williams picked up a racket once again and returned to Grand Slam tennis. The queen of the sport never officially announced her retirement, and nearly four years after her last singles match at the US Open, she stepped back onto the court. But after two pregnancies and now in her mid-40s, winning matches is no easy task.😔🇺🇸❌ It ended in defeat, but it was great to have Serena Williams back at SW19#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/1gPu9TOMjd— Olly Tennis 🎾 🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) June 30, 2026 That was evident on Centre Court, where the legendary American and 23-time Grand Slam champion fell to world No. 87 Maya Joint of Australia, 2-1 (6-3, 6-7, 6-3). Serena received a standing ovation on Wimbledon’s show court, a clear sign of how much the seven-time champion at the Wimbledon Championships had been missed by the London crowd. However, she did not have enough left in the tank to reach the second round, with the second-set tiebreak proving to be the highlight of her comebac..