Djokovic Defends 44-Year-Old Serena Williams After 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 Wimbledon Loss

Q: With an immediate knee injury, is this comeback a heroic final chapter or a painful epilogue?

It looks more like a heroic final chapter under threat, not yet a painful epilogue. The facts point both ways. Williams, 44, returned to Wimbledon singles after nearly four years away and lost in three sets to 20-year-old Maya Joint, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3. She showed enough power and competitive instinct to force a decider, but her movement was limited even before she tweaked her right knee late in the first set. That injury, later confirmed by Williams, is the clearest warning sign: elite tennis still demands repeated explosive movement, and that is the hardest thing to recover at her age. But the comeback is not defined only by the scoreline or the injury. Williams’ stated aim was not to prove she could dominate again; it was to play, to enjoy the stage, and to let her daughters see her compete. In that sense, the return already achieved something meaningful. Djokovic’s defense is relevant here: expecting peak Serena after four years away ignores both age and context. His point was that her presence itself is “an incredible gift” to the sport. Whether this turns painful depends on what happens next. If the knee rules her out of doubles with Venus or ends any chance of a U.S. Open appearance, the comeback may feel abruptly unfinished. If she can still play selectively and on her own terms, this Wimbledon loss will look less like decline and more like a brave, honest coda to one of tennis’s greatest careers.

3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Jul 2

Novak Djokovic urged fans to ease criticism of Serena Williams after her first singles match in nearly four years ended in a first-round Wimbledon defeat to 20-year-old Maya Joint.
Williams, 44, still served above 120 mph and stayed competitive, but Djokovic said rust and movement issues were natural after such a long layoff and two-child motherhood.
A right-knee tweak late in the first set has also clouded whether Williams will play doubles with Venus; their opener had not been scheduled for Friday and could slip to Saturday.
Djokovic, who watched her match before winning his own second-rounder over Stefanos Tsitsipas, called her return "an incredible gift" and said he hopes she also plays the U.S. Open.