Serena Williams Returns at 44 for First Singles Match in Nearly 4 Years
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 12
Serena Williams Returns at 44 for First Singles Match in Nearly 4 Years
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 12
Summary
Wimbledon marked Serena Williams’s first professional singles match in nearly four years, with the 44-year-old losing to 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in three competitive sets.
Williams said she returned to “have fun” and “see what happens,” framing the comeback as exploratory rather than a bid to prove anything after retiring in 2022.
A right-knee tweak disclosed after the match forced her out of planned doubles with sister Venus Williams later in the tournament.
The return revives hopes that Williams — owner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles and a former No. 1 for 319 weeks — could play the U.S. Open in August and September.