Maya Joint played the biggest match of her young career and emerged victorious. In an exhilarating encounter on Centre Court, she halted the legendary Serena Williams’ attempt to return to Wimbledon singles.
Joint, who had never won at Wimbledon and faced a streak of 11 consecutive tour-level match losses since January, triumphed over the seven-time champion with a score of 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3. She will now face Alexandra Ella in the next round.
Serena saved a match point in the tiebreak of the second set and gained an early break in the decisive set. Despite her impressive performance, she could not break Joint’s resolve. The 20-year-old Australian faced Serena’s power head-on, breaking her serve five times and hitting 10 aces throughout the match.
At 44 years old, Serena became the second oldest woman to compete in Wimbledon singles during the Open Era, following Martina Navratilova, who played at 47 in 2004.
In a post-match interview on the court, Joint expressed her disbelief, saying, “I don’t know what happened. My feet weren’t moving. I really don’t know how I got off to such a good start. Her presence is very impactful. She is a legend, and many great names have played on this court. I have dreamed of this moment since childhood, so it was an incredible experience.”
She added, “I think the hardest part was stepping onto the court to play against her. I was nervous at the beginning. During the match, I felt she definitely improved her game. She played really well.”
Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, last played a singles match 1,397 days ago at the 2022 US Open against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic. Following her shocking defeat to Joint, she will remain at the All England Club to compete in doubles alongside her sister Venus.
After the match, Serena did not speak to reporters but released a statement to the media. “Returning to Wimbledon has been truly wonderful. I never thought I would be able to come back here. The atmosphere was fantastic. Stepping onto the court was amazing. I definitely enjoyed it, missed it, and had the most fun in this moment.”