Serena Williams Reacts to 2026 Wimbledon Loss to Maya Joint in Return to Singles

Serena Williams had a positive outlook after her 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 loss to Maya Joint in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

"It was really great to be back at Wimbledon," Williams said after the defeat. "I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything."

Williams appeared in her first professional singles match since the 2022 US Open on Tuesday.

The 44-year-old lost the first set after a double fault resulted in the only break of the set, but took a 6-5 lead in the second. Joint came back and threatened to win in straight sets, although Williams saved a match point in the tiebreaker before taking the second set.

Still, Joint started off strong in the third set and held on for the victory.

She revealed that she was excited to face the 23-time Grand Slam champion after the match concluded.

"I don't know what just happened, to be honest," Joint said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "I didn't get much sleep last night. I was up until like 2 a.m. just thinking about it.

"She has such an aura, she's just a legend and this court has so many huge names that have played on it," Joint added. "I've been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid, so this is pretty crazy."

Despite Williams' loss, her overall performance was still commendable given her age and extended time off.

She'll be back in action at Wimbledon on Thursday alongside her older sister, Venus, in a doubles matchup with Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.