Nearly four years after her retirement, Serena Williams made her highly anticipated return to singles action on Centre Court at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships, thrilling the packed crowd with her resilient display.
Despite the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s laudable effort, her campaign ended in the first round. She chose not to speak to the media afterward, instead sharing her thoughts in a brief statement.
What Serena Williams Said After Her First-Round Loss at Wimbledon
Facing an opponent 24 years her junior, Williams was involved in a fiercely contested battle against Maya Joint at SW19. Joint clinched the opening set after securing a crucial break of serve, but the 44-year-old saved a match point in the second and forced a decider. Although Williams took a 2-1 lead after an early break in the third set, Joint fought back admirably to claim a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 victory in two hours and 22 minutes.
While there was anticipation surrounding what the 23-time Grand Slam champion would say, particularly regarding her future plans, in her customary post-match press conference, reporters were instead informed that she had canceled the appearance.
Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg shared the brief statement provided to the media, in which the American expressed how much she enjoyed the experience of being back at Wimbledon.
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything,” the statement read.
Serena Williams not doing press tonight at #Wimbledon, lol.
The tournament sent a quote attributed to her. pic.twitter.com/aYRthRcmu9
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) June 30, 2026
Meanwhile, Joint was overwhelmed after defeating one of her idols, revealing that she had lost sleep over having to face Williams and was very nervous when she walked out on Centre Court.
“I really don’t know what to say right now. I don’t know what just happened, to be honest. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was up till 2 a.m. just thinking about it. 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 pretty good start in the match. She has such an aura; she’s such a legend,” she said in her on-court interview.
MORE: ‘I Was Up Till 2 A.M.’ – Serena Williams’ Opponent Maya Joint Opens Up After Wimbledon Thriller
Serena Williams will have more opportunities to speak to the press at Wimbledon as she shifts her focus to her much-awaited doubles campaign alongside her sister Venus Williams. The duo will lock horns with Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in the first round.
