Serena Williams‘ solo return to Wimbledon ended in a single match.
The 44-year-old tennis player, often referred to as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), was defeated by Australia’s Maya Joint in a first round match for the Ladies’ Singles tournament at Wimbledon on Tuesday (June 30) in London, England.
Maya won the match in a 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 win.
Serena shared a quick handshake with Maya at the net before exiting the court.
Maya was speechless after defeating her idol. She said on the court,“She played some really good tennis there. I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I’ve been a little kid so this is pretty crazy.”
“I didn’t get much sleep last night, I was up until 2 a.m. just thinking about it,” Maya said in a post-match interview. “Walking out, I forgot the warm-up. I don’t know what happened; my legs weren’t moving. I really don’t know how I got a good start in the match. She has such an aura, she’s such a legend.”
Serena had her husband and kids sitting in the crowd to watch her first solo match in four years.
Serena‘s older sister Venus Williams was also sitting in her box at the match. They will be playing in the doubles tournament together, beginning on Thursday.
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