Serena Williams’s bid for a fairytale return to singles competition at Wimbledon Championships ended on Tuesday after she suffered a first-round defeat to Maya Joint.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion lost 6-3, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3 in her first singles match in four years.
Williams, 44, was making a sensational return to Grand Slam singles competition after a lengthy absence from the sport.
The American showed flashes of her old brilliance, saving two match points in the second set before forcing the contest into a deciding set after a tie-break victory.
However, Joint recovered from dropping the second set to regain control of the contest, breaking Williams in the decider to seal victory after two hours and 22 minutes on Centre Court.
Williams briefly led by a break in the final set, raising hopes of a remarkable comeback, but the Australian responded strongly to secure one of the biggest wins of her career.
Despite the defeat, Williams’ campaign at the All England Club is not over as she is scheduled to compete in the women’s doubles alongside her sister, Venus Williams.
Williams was the second-oldest woman to compete in the Wimbledon singles event in the Open era, behind Martina Navratilova, who reached the second round at the age of 47 in 2004.
The former world number one was attempting to add another memorable chapter to a career that includes seven Wimbledon singles titles but was unable to overcome her younger opponent.
