Serena Williams’ Wimbledon singles comeback ends in a loss on a remarkable Centre Court night
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Serena's Comeback SpoiledShelton StunnedBeating Your Idol BracketSerena Williams’ Wimbledon singles comeback ends in a loss on a remarkable Centre Court night
Serena Williams' return to Wimbledon featured plenty of flashes of her best tennis — and a reminder of how the game has changed in her absence. Robert Prange / Getty Images
By Charlie EccleshareJune 30, 2026 Updated 5:17 pm EDTTHE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, London — The Serena Williams Wimbledon comeback may not have begun with the fairytale victory Centre Court was hoping for, but this was still one of the most remarkable nights in the tournament’s history.
Twenty-year-old Australian Maya Joint ultimately defeated Williams 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3, but seeing the 23-time Grand Slam champion compete at the All England Club at 44, after a four-year absence from singles action, still made for a remarkable occasion. Williams had looked down and out when she trailed by a set and a break, and then when she was down match point in the second-set tiebreak, but she showed why she remains one of the greatest in the history of any sport.
The roar when Williams escaped from the second set to force a decider was so loud it was as if she had won an eighth title on the court she owned for almost two decades.
After all the build-up, all the will she-won’t she take a singles wild card, one of the most anticipated tennis matches in recent memory arrived. A packed Centre Court under the lights for a match starting at around 7.30 p.m. local time, this had the tension and edge of a final rather than a first-round match.
Williams is not just a seven-time singles champion here. She has transcended tennis entirely, and her presence at the All England Club over the past week — and ever since she announced her return — has taken over the sport.
Why Serena Williams chose Wimbledon to return to playing singlesAva WallaceOnce the preoccupation about whether and why she was coming back had dissipated, the question was how she would fare back on the singles court? A win and a loss on the doubles court in the previous few weeks had pointed to a reasonable level of preparedness, but singles is an entirely different beast.
Could Williams’ peerless skills and mentality trump the fact that she was attempting something, in her mid-40s, that really shouldn’t be possible?
In the end, that’s how it played out. Possible to compete, yes, but to beat a WTA Tour player who is on court week in, week out? Not just yet.
Joint, the world No. 87 who had lost her previous 11 tour-level matches dating back to January, displayed a hugely impressive level of poise and self-confidence. Despite a second-set wobble, she refused to be overawed by the opponent and the occasion that she was facing.
After so long out, Williams’ movement in the early stages was understandably a little tentative — especially on grass. Her serve, which propelled Williams to those seven titles, by contrast seemed to have lost little of its potency. Williams held to love in her first service game, and cracked a serve at 123 mph in her second. It just missed, but it was a demonstration of the adrenaline coursing through the returning champion. In her third service game, she nailed an ace down the T at 121 mph.
After some early nerves leaked into Joint’s forehand wing, she fended off two early break points, and from there she settled into her tennis. Helped by two Williams double faults, she secured the first break of the match for 5-3. Williams was trying to get herself going, roaring after bulleting a forehand return winner past her opponent in the next game, but she was too often off balance when hitting groundstrokes. Joint, not buckling in a pressure-cooker environment, held to take the first set after a clinical 36 minutes.
Maya Joint held her nerve to stave off a Serena Williams comeback on Centre Court at Wimbledon. (Robert Prange / Getty Images)A brilliant backhand winner down the line earned Joint a break at the start of the second, and she then fended off a couple more break points to hold for 3-1. Williams, at one point 0-5 on break points, was creating plenty of inroads but could not convert when it mattered most.
But Williams produced her best game of the match to break back for 3-3, knifing away a volley and then ripping an inside-in forehand winner that had the American and most watching on Centre Court roaring in delight. But Joint broke in the very next game, a reflection of the fact that although Williams was able to reach a very high top level, sustaining it was the issue.
Williams broke again for 4-4, and suddenly it felt as though the occasion might be getting to her opponent. But Joint was reminded a few days ago by Ajla Tomljanović, the woman who beat Williams in her last singles match four years ago, that the greatest of all time would be feeling nerves too. So it proved, as Williams hit consecutive double faults in an almost unbearably tense game in which she saved four break points and eventually held for 6-5. Joint was furious at herself for not taking the fourth one after being in complete control of the point.
She rebounded well to hold comfortably and force a tiebreak, which came down to who would handle the occasion and the growing anxiety better. Williams, with the experience of so many wins, or Joint, playing with both pressure and a sense that she had little to lose?
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Both players were so locked in they seemingly forgot they had to change ends at 3-3. Williams moved to within two points of forcing a decider with an ace out wide, but Joint reeled off the next couple of points to lead 6-5 and bring up match point. The crowd urged Williams on, and she found a clutch serve to set up a forehand winner for 6-6 and another change of ends. A 122 mph serve down the T then brought up set point, and when Joint sent a forehand long, the crowd erupted.
It looked as though Williams would ride the momentum all the way to a famous victory when she broke for 2-1 at the start of the decider. But the effort of the previous couple of hours seemed to catch up with her, and Joint broke twice to lead 5-2. The noise ratcheted up again as Williams came out to serve to stay in the match. She managed it, but Joint, despite double-faulting on her second match point, converted the third.
Williams has not spoken about her singles plans after Wimbledon, so where Tuesday night’s match will lead remains unknown. Her next assignment is a doubles match with Venus Williams, which, given their six titles together here and her sister’s similarly legendary status, will be another huge occasion.
But Williams has shown to herself that she can be competitive in singles, and she did it in front of her daughters Olympia and Adira, which she said was one of her main motivations for coming back.
So while this wasn’t another title or improbable victory, it was another significant chapter in the Williams Wimbledon story that somehow continues to be written.
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LeBron James’ incredibly sneaky tactic to protect Bronny’s future before blockbuster Lakers decision
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Skip to main content NBALeBron James’ incredibly sneaky tactic to protect Bronny’s future before blockbuster Lakers decision
By Ryan Anderson Published June 30, 2026, 6:35 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The California Post on GoogleLeBron James made it clear he wanted to play in the NBA with his son. The Lakers made that happen by drafting Bronny James. Now that LeBron is leaving Los Angeles, Bronny’s future with the Lakers is suddenly much less clear.
With LeBron informing the Lakers that he will play elsewhere during the 2026-27 season, attention quickly shifted to what the decision means for his son. Bronny is entering his third NBA season and remains under contract with Los Angeles after the remainder of his salary for next season became fully guaranteed.
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That detail matters.
Bronny is set to make more than $2.2 million next season on the four-year deal he signed after the Lakers selected him with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. While his future has always been viewed through the lens of playing alongside his father, the Lakers are not required to move him just because LeBron is leaving.
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In fact, keeping him may be the simpler option.
Bronny has made gradual progress since entering the league. After spending much of his rookie season developing with the South Bay Lakers, he appeared in 42 games during the 2025-26 season and earned limited playoff minutes against the Rockets and Thunder. His numbers remain modest, but his 3-point shooting improved, and he has shown signs of becoming a useful defensive guard off the bench.
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For a Lakers team now moving forward around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, cheap backcourt depth still offers plenty of value. Bronny is not expensive, is still only 21 and has a team option for the 2027-28 season.
The more complicated scenario would involve Bronny joining LeBron’s next team.
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Golden State has been heavily linked to LeBron, especially after Draymond Green declined his player option to help create flexibility. If the Warriors also make a push for Anthony Davis, they would likely need inexpensive contracts around a top-heavy roster built around Stephen Curry, LeBron, Davis and Green. In that case, Bronny’s low salary could make theoretical sense.
But the Lakers would have to cooperate in a trade. And they are no longer in the business of keeping James content.
For now, the most likely outcome is that Bronny stays in Los Angeles and continues trying to carve out his own NBA role.
LeBron’s Lakers chapter is over. Bronny’s may not be.
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