Wimbledon 2026 results: Serena Williams falls to Maya Joint in first singles match in four years
After four years of retirement, 44-year-old Serena Williams made her return to a grand slam singles competition on Tuesday evening on Centre Court at Wimbledon against 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint. The nerves were apparent on both sides, but ultimately Joint was able to prevail in three sets (6-3, 6-7, 6-3) over the legend to spoil her return.
Williams played doubles in two warmup events, but Tuesday' nightcap on Centre Court was her first singles match since 2022. The big question coming in was how quickly could Williams shake off the rust and what did the 23-time grand slam champion have left in the tank after such an extended absence from the court.
Early on she showed positive signs, holding her serve with relative ease in her first three service games and prodding a bit at Joint's serve, producing two break points in the seventh game of the match. However, after failing to convert those opportunities into her first lead of the match, it was Williams who blinked. A pair of double faults in her next service game allowed Joint to snag the first break of the match to go up 5-3, and despite getting pushed to deuce, she held her nerve to hold serve and take the first set 6-3.
The second set was all over the place, as Joint and Williams traded breaks with the momentum swinging wildly back-and-forth. Both players had opportunities to consolidate breaks and take control of the set, but neither could capitalize as the tension built on Centre Court.
Wimbledon 2026 results: Top American men's seed Ben Shelton ousted in opening round by Otto Virtanen Brent Brookhouse
The 11th game of the set, tied at 5-5 with Williams serving, exemplified the wild swings and difficulty both players had at grabbing and maintaining any semblance of control. Joint jumped on top at 0-40 to grab three break points that would've all but won her the match. Williams dug deep and charged back to tie things at deuce, grabbing the advantage three times before finally getting a first serve in to force Joint's return to sail just long.
Joint would manage to hold with ease in her final service game, fittingly sending a chaotic set to a tiebreak. There, the two went back-and-forth on serve until Joint grabbed the first match point at 6-5 with Williams serving, where the legend came up with one of her best serves up the match up the T and then smashed a winner from the net to stay alive. When it was Williams' turn to have a set point up 7-6, she didn't miss the opportunity, forcing Joint into a lengthy rally where the Australian eventually sailed one long.
SERENA FIGHTS BACK TO WIN THE SECOND SET 💥
— ESPN (@espn) June 30, 2026
Third and final set on ESPN and the ESPN App 🍿 pic.twitter.com/BmKcn3B6gO
Joint seemed to be teetering on the brink of a collapse early in the third set. Williams picked up an early break and seemed like she might run away with the match, but as quickly as Williams took control, she just as quickly saw it all slip away. The 20-year-old dug in and found a quick break back to level the set again at 2-2 and shift the pressure back onto Williams to hold her serve.
Williams got broken at love in her next service game, as the failed consolidation of her early break took all the wind out of her sails. Serena would hold in her next service game, but never created the break point opportunity needed in Joint's next two service games to extend the match. Joint would fight through the nerves to serve it out and get her first Wimbledon victory over an all-time great.
Williams will continue her Wimbledon in the doubles competition later this week with her sister Venus, where some of the issues that caused her problems against Joint will be mitigated. She struggled to cover the entire court against Joint, and when the Australian was able to move things out of the middle of the court and push Williams to the edges, she was able to create advantages and winners. Still, the way Williams fought to win the second set was remarkable and the effort she put in to get back on that stage and prove she still had the game to hang was impressive.
Add CBS Sports on GoogleUkraine slams Moscow with another massive drone assault: ‘Step by step, we are implementing our plan’
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Ukraine slams Moscow with another massive drone assault: ‘Step by step, we are implementing our plan’
By Ronny Reyes Published June 30, 2026, 6:33 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on GoogleUkraine hit Moscow with a large-scale drone attack overnight, striking one of the Russian capital’s largest satellite communication centers for the second time in a week, officials said.
Kyiv fired more than 60 drones at Moscow late Monday as part of a large wave of attacks over the border that saw Russia scramble to take out 419 drones across 18 regions.
The attack struck Moscow’s Dubna communication center, which sits 310 miles past the border, for yet another time.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the center served as a “reconnaissance and for coordinating the activity of Russia’s occupation contingent in Ukraine.
“Recently, our Defense Forces of Ukraine already reached four such Russian centers, not only in the Moscow region but also in the Vladimir region,” Zelensky wrote on X.
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“Step by step, we are implementing our plan of long-range sanctions and making it as difficult as possible for the aggressor state to carry out its invasion operations against Ukraine and the occupation of our territories.”
Ukraine has ramped up its pressure campaign against the Kremlin this year, with drone attacks in Moscow becoming more and more common and spurring discontent among Russians over dictator Vladimir Putin’s war.
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The strikes have been heavily focused on Russia’s oil and energy infrastructure, with Putin forced to admit Monday that the country was facing fuel shortages because of his war against Ukraine.
The intense strikes have reportedly begun to whittle away part of Moscow’s defenses, with the Ukrainian military attributing a hole in the “enemy’s air defense system” for successful strikes on the capital and St. Petersburg.
The Kremlin slammed the latest attacks on Moscow, telling reporters that the drone assault led to the deaths of civilians, including children.
Moscow regional official Andrey Vorobyov said a 6-month-old baby was killed Tuesday when a drone crashed into a home southeast of the capital.
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Jalen Ramsey Points Out What Makes Deion Sanders Different
Jalen Ramsey Points Out What Makes Deion Sanders Different
A few Colorado Buffaloes heard from NFL cornerback Jalen Ramsey about what makes Coach Prime different during their summer leadership retreat.Liam Howard|
In this story:
Colorado BuffaloesThe Colorado Buffaloes took a leadership retreat to coach Deion Sanders’s Texas ranch during the final week of June. Transfer Buffs and returning players used the time to build chemistry and learn from some of the top influences in the football world.
Those influences, of course, included Coach Prime himself, but also an important guest speaker. NFL cornerback and safety Jalen Ramsey spoke to the team, giving the players career advice and helping put their circumstances into perspective. Part of that included telling the players how lucky they are to have the unique experience of learning under Coach Prime and his staff.
What Jalen Ramsey said about Deion Sanders and his staff
One of the themes most consistent in Ramsey’s conversation with the players was the reminder of how unique their situation is. Playing for arguably the greatest cornerback to ever play the game is an uncommon benefit, to say the least, and Ramsey told the players how they can use those circumstances to shape how they play.
“Being in the presence of greatness, you can’t really pay any of these coaches back for any of that,” said Ramsey to Colorado players in a YouTube video posted by Well Off Media. “The only way you can pay somebody back for that is by being yourself in a respectful way, but also by the way that you play for them…That [greatness] isn’t normal…it isn’t like that anywhere else.”
As a three-time first-team All-Pro, an eight-time Pro Bowler, a National Champion in college and a Super Bowl Champion in the NFL, Ramsey has had about as ideal a career path as a football player could ask for. Still, he even claimed that he wouldn’t have ended up at Florida State had a staff like Colorado’s existed during his college career.
How the Colorado Buffaloes’ leaders feel about Deion Sanders
Colorado’s players were receptive to Ramsey’s advice. Several players present at the retreat chimed in on the differences they’ve noticed between Coach Prime and any other coach they’ve played under.
A pair of SEC transfers in former Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. and former Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Bo Hughley spoke about the differences in coaching relationships they’ve seen since joining the Buffs.
They claimed they hadn’t been able to be themselves or form close relationships with their coaches at their former stops, and that it was a hindrance to their play and personal lives. Since arriving in Boulder, that hasn’t been a worry of theirs, as they’ve formed tight bonds with Coach Prime and other members of the staff.
Freshman offensive lineman Xavier Payne gave his thoughts on the Buffs’ unique closeness with their head coach as well. Although this is his first season at the college level, Payne still identified how unique an experience like Coach Prime’s leadership retreat is.
As the team takes shape ahead of the 2026 season, the retreat, as well as what the players learned from Ramsey, will play major roles in their chemistry. Sanders’s players are bought in, and the program’s leadership appears to have made great strides since 2025.
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Published 7 minutes ago
LIAM HOWARDLiam Howard is a Colorado Buffaloes On SI beat reporter and a men’s basketball beat writer and sportscaster for Sko Buffs Sports. A Longmont, Colorado native, he has built a diverse portfolio across sports media, with experience in broadcast production, graphic design, and documentary storytelling. Known for his detailed coverage of college athletics, Howard is also the founder and host of SBS Football Live, where he provides thoughtful analysis and original reporting.
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From miracle rescues to anguished recoveries, Venezuelans face a rising death toll post-earthquake
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — A child’s miraculous rescue. An injured man in a makeshift hospital, hoping to hear from his three missing children. A daughter unable to retrieve her father’s body from the rubble.
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