Maya Joint faces Serena Williams in what will arguably be the biggest match of her fledgling career. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable journey so far and will have her sights set on pulling off a standout win against the tennis legend in the first round of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.
All About Maya Joint Ahead of Serena Williams Match at Wimbledon
Born in the same state as Williams, Joint grew up idolizing the American tennis superstar. However, the Michigan-born Joint opted to represent Australia, the birth country of her father.
Her father, Michael, is a former professional squash player and has been coaching the sport since his retirement. Her mother, Katja, was born in Germany and played tennis, squash, and badminton competitively.
The racket sports background in Joint’s household prompted her to pursue tennis as a career. She started playing tennis in kindergarten and has gone from strength to strength over the years.
Joint moved to Australia in 2023 and trained at Tennis Australia’s National Academy in Brisbane before committing to join the Texas Longhorns tennis team in November 2023. However, after the NCAA asked her to forfeit most of her 2024 prize money ($140,000), she forewent her collegiate opportunity and decided to turn pro.
Later, Joint and UNC’s Reese Brantmeier filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, and a settlement was reached earlier this year with the college governing body paying the players $2.02 million in damages and more in attorney fees.
In 2024, Joint was named Junior Female Athlete of the Year by Tennis Australia. She also finished as the runner-up for the Newcombe Medal, the highest honor in Australian tennis.
Still only 20, Joint, who is coached by Chris Mahony, has shown glimpses of her strong potential on the WTA Tour and already has two 250 titles to her name. She won the Rabat Grand Prix on clay in May 2025 for her first WTA Tour title before winning the Eastbourne Open a month later.
Joint is still waiting for her Grand Slam breakthrough but has made the second round of the US Open twice in singles. She also made history at the 2026 Australian Open, becoming the first Australian since Ashleigh Barty to receive a seeding at the Grand Slam.
Regarded as one of the most exciting young tennis players in Australian tennis, Joint has a very bright future ahead of her. Injuries have limited her progress this year, and she arrives at Wimbledon with a 3-15 win-loss record in 2026. However, she will be determined to take Williams on and come out on top in what will be a daunting challenge.
