Serena Williams will launch her long-awaited return to Grand Slam singles against Australian rising star Maya Joint after the seven-time Wimbledon champion was handed a blockbuster first-round draw at the All England Club.
The 44-year-old American has not played a singles match since her third-round defeat to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open, a tournament many believed marked the end of her remarkable career.
Instead, Williams is back after accepting a Wimbledon wild card, with the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion returning to the tournament where she has lifted the trophy seven times.
Standing in her way is Queensland-based 20-year-old Maya Joint, who was born in Michigan before switching allegiance to Australia through her father.
The world No.53 enters the tournament after a difficult run of form, having won just one of her past 14 matches, but has embraced the opportunity to face one of her childhood heroes.
“It’s an honour. I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams, and if you told me 10 years ago that I’d be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that’s just crazy. I have so much respect for her, she was one of my idols growing up. I never thought I’d get the opportunity to play against her.”
Serena Williams will face Australian Maya Joint in the opening round of her Wimbledon singles comeback
Maya Joint said facing Serena at Wimbledon is an honour after idolising the American growing up
Williams accepted a Wimbledon wild card after returning to competition earlier this month in doubles
Joint also revealed she had received encouragement from fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, the last player to defeat Williams in singles almost four years ago.
“I talked to Ajla this morning, and she gave me a little pep talk, which was nice. She told me I can beat anyone, and Serena will be just as nervous, probably, coming back in her first match at Wimbledon,” Joint said.
Though Williams has spent the past week practising on the famous grass courts, questions remain over how her body will handle the demands of singles tennis after such a lengthy absence.
She returned to competition earlier this month by playing doubles at Queen’s Club and the Berlin Open, winning alongside Victoria Mboko in London before suffering a first-round defeat in Berlin with Karolina Muchova.
Williams has not won a Grand Slam singles title since claiming the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant with her first daughter.
When she stepped away from singles following the 2022 US Open, Williams famously insisted she was “evolving away” from tennis rather than retiring.
Her return has been driven by a desire to compete in front of her two daughters, while she will also reunite with sister Venus Williams in the Wimbledon doubles draw. The siblings have won six Wimbledon doubles titles together.
Victory over Joint would likely send Williams into a second-round meeting with 29th seed Alexandra Eala of the Philippines before a possible third-round showdown against defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka begins her campaign against Serbia’s Teodora Kostovic, while Emma Raducanu will face Antonia Ruzic amid concerns over her fitness after reportedly being seen wearing a protective boot ahead of the tournament.
In the men’s draw, defending champion Jannik Sinner opens against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic as he attempts to defend his Wimbledon crown following his shock second-round exit at the French Open.
Novak Djokovic begins his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title against China’s Wu Yibing, while Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur has been drawn against Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga.
French Open champion Alexander Zverev will begin against Belgium’s Alexander Blockx, while three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka is set for his final Wimbledon appearance when he faces Matteo Berrettini in the opening round.
Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz will miss this year’s championships as he continues recovering from the wrist injury that has ruled him out of the grass-court major.
