Serena Williams will play her first Wimbledon singles match in nearly four years on Tuesday, facing 20-year-old Maya Joint on Centre Court. The return is set against an injury-shortened Day 2 lineup that has already reshaped the tournament’s star power.
Serena Williams is set to walk back onto Wimbledon’s Centre Court on Tuesday night for her first singles match in nearly four years.
Her opponent is Maya Joint, a 20-year-old in the first round of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament. For Williams, 44, it’s a return that feels less like a scheduling update and more like a moment the sport has been waiting to see.
Day 2 at Wimbledon is already drawing extra attention because the tournament has lost some familiar faces to injuries. Two-time men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz and home favorite Emma Raducanu both withdrew, leaving the All England Club with a different cast as play resumed.
Williams’s presence, though, is the one that fans and players keep orbiting. Earlier in the week, she returned to competitive action at the Queen’s Club, playing doubles, and then accepted wild cards to take part in both singles and doubles at Wimbledon alongside her older sister Venus.
A few hours before her match, Williams practiced for about 50 minutes. Caroline Wozniacki, a close friend and another former No. 1, watched from nearby.
“I’m very excited, it’s always good to have the GOAT back,” Wozniacki told The Associated Press. “She is fun to watch, not only as a friend but also as a tennis fan. Anytime you can have her back and playing, I think it’s exciting for the game.”
Williams is not the only storyline in motion on Tuesday. Defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek opened play on the main court and had to dig through a tough three-set match against Taylor Townsend. Swiatek’s father and sister were both in the Royal Box for that Centre Court contest. and she ultimately overcame the challenge 6-1. 2-6. 6-3.
After a Day 1 that featured wins from No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, along with Novak Djokovic, other results also pushed the tournament into its next phase. Alexander Zverev, the winner of the French Open, advanced to the second round as well.
In a match shaped by powerful serving, the second-seeded Zverev beat Alexander Blockx 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (0).
No. 2 Elena Rybakina also moved on, defeating Lois Boisson 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
In the men’s bracket, fifth-seeded Alex de Minaur and No. 6 Taylor Fritz were among the early winners. Fritz’s route also took a detour: he had originally been set to face Jack Draper on Centre Court before the British player withdrew with an injury. Fritz ended up beating Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 on No. 1 Court.
Not every notable name survived the first hurdle. No. 4 Ben Shelton, a quarterfinalist here last year, lost to 140th-ranked Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen in five sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9).
On the women’s side, No. 6 Amanda Anisimova advanced, along with former Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini.
And for a tournament missing a few of its usual stars, Williams’s return to singles on Tuesday has landed as a different kind of headline—one driven by people who want to see her play, and by an All England Club that feels ready for the familiar spectacle of Serena on Centre Court.
Serena Williams Wimbledon Maya Joint Centre Court Iga Swiatek Taylor Townsend Carlos Alcaraz Emma Raducanu Alexander Zverev Elena Rybakina