Djokovic urges – Novak Djokovic said people should “cool off” on judgment after Serena Williams’ Wimbledon return ended with a straight-sets loss to Maya Joint, and he backed the 44-year-old’s decision to come back to tennis despite the physical realities.
LONDON — Novak Djokovic watched Serena Williams take the Centre Court stage at Wimbledon, and for him, the reaction that followed was almost as big as the match itself.
Djokovic knows what it feels like to carry decades of expectation. Now 39 and a 24-time Grand Slam champion. he has also learned what scrutiny looks like when a legend returns to a sport that never stops judging. Williams. 44 and a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion. lost at the All England Club earlier this week in the first singles match she played in nearly four years.
Her opponent was 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia, ranked 87th. Joint beat Williams 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in the first round on Tuesday.
Djokovic said the public expects dominant tennis immediately, even when the body and the timing are working against a comeback. “People always expect you to play at your best because they’re used to seeing you dominate the sport for many years. ” he said. “She’s 44. She has two children. Coming back, it’s normal that she still is not at her best in terms of movement. She hasn’t played a match in so many years. People need to cool off a little bit with judgment and criticism and everything. Let’s just enjoy the greatness, who she is, what she represents to the sport.”.
Williams was not simply a spectator in her comeback. Djokovic pointed to what still looked sharp: she cranked out serves faster than 120 m.p.h. and dictated points with her heavy groundstrokes. But movement was the problem area, and Joint — hitting beyond Williams’ reach — won more of the biggest moments.
Djokovic described Williams’ decision to come back as something tennis should embrace. “Her wanting to give it a try and just come back is an incredible gift for our sport,” he said. He criticized the instant speculation that follows big names losing. “I think people sometimes — I don’t know why — they don’t appreciate that enough. They just start to speculate, judge or whatever. It’s like, ‘Hey, guys, enjoy. You have the greatest ever to come play for you, to bring more attention to your sport.’”.
He added: “I really support Serena. Always have. Hopefully she’s going to play more.”
Williams received wild card invitations to play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon. Whether she will still take the court in doubles with Venus remains unclear. She announced on Wednesday that she tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set against Joint. Williams said she still hopes to play doubles.
Her first-round doubles match — the Williams sisters versus Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina — was only the remaining first-round match not on the schedule for Friday, with the possibility they could play on Saturday.
Djokovic’s comments also carried the weight of a long-running public back-and-forth. At last year’s U.S. Open, Djokovic publicly challenged Serena to return, saying, “When somebody challenges her, she never refuses. So I challenge Serena: Come back on the tour next year,” Djokovic said in 2025. Now, he wants her to keep showing up this year, too.
“I hope for the sake of tennis and all of us that we be able to see her more,” Djokovic said. “I assume that U.S. Open is somewhere where she would like to play. Playing in her home Slam would be amazing for her and for everyone else.”
As Serena’s situation unfolded, Djokovic was already in the middle of his own Wimbledon business. He won his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets on Wednesday night on Centre Court. It was 24 hours after Djokovic watched Serena’s match on the same court on TV.
Speaking about what Serena is trying to do, Djokovic said: “What she’s doing is incredible. Epic.” He reiterated what competitive drivers always look like up close to him. “I’ve always been a fan of Serena. I’m sure she wanted and expected to at least win one match or more. Knowing how competitive she is. the mind of a champion that she has. she’s not happy with just showing up on the court. She wants to win.”.
For Djokovic, the message is straightforward: give the comeback room to breathe, even when the result isn’t perfect — and let the sport enjoy the presence of someone who still changes the atmosphere just by being there.
Novak Djokovic Serena Williams Wimbledon Maya Joint Stefanos Tsitsipas Camila Osorio Solana Sierra Venus Williams U.S. Open tennis comeback