American tennis legend Serena Williams made her return to Wimbledon after four years but was defeated in the first round. On Tuesday, the 44-year-old Serena lost to 20-year-old Australian player Maya Joint with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-7, 6-3. Reflecting on her comeback experience at Wimbledon, Serena said, “The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, and I fully felt the moment of stepping back onto the court.”
Kathmandu, 17 Ashar – After a sensational return to Wimbledon following four years, American tennis great Serena Williams was eliminated in the opening round. The 44-year-old Serena was defeated by 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint with a score of 6-3, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3 in Tuesday’s first-round match. Having planned to bid a final farewell on Centre Court after her first-round exit in 2022, Serena returned to the Wimbledon courts after 1,462 days.
The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion and six-time women’s doubles champion received a grand welcome from the crowd. During the match, Serena saved a match point and won the second set in a tiebreak, extending the contest to a deciding set. However, in the final set, Maya Joint displayed composed play to secure a historic victory.
Defeating Serena, who is 24 years her senior, Joint admitted to feeling very nervous before the match. “I couldn’t sleep until 2 a.m. last night. When I entered the court, I felt I couldn’t stay fully alert and my legs were shaking. I don’t quite know what just happened,” she said.
On the other hand, Serena expressed her happiness about returning to Wimbledon via a statement, as she was not required to attend the mandatory press conference. “I feel extremely happy to be back at Wimbledon. I had often thought about playing here again. The atmosphere was incredible and I deeply felt the moment I returned to the court,” Serena stated.
