At age 44, Serena Williams’ return to Wimbledon was short-lived. The seven-time Wimbledon champion lost in three sets to 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the first round of the Women’s Singles draw on Tuesday. Nobody was prepared to criticize Williams for her return, and rightfully so. She took a woman less than half her age to a third set, and showed flashes of her old self during her first Grand Slam match in four years, though looked predictably rusty, even compared to her swan song at the All England Club in 2022.
Perhaps it was that disappointment that led Williams to decide to skip her post-match press conference following the loss. Instead, reporters received a quote from tournament organizers attributed to Williams.
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
“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon,” the statement began. “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.”
Williams, who decided to join the singles draw last week after being granted a wild-card entry, did give a pre-tournament press conference over the weekend. However, the decision to skip her media obligations after her first Grand Slam match in four years rankled some tennis fans, particularly because she was given a coveted wild-card spot that could’ve gone to someone else.
Williams, however, is a competitor first and foremost. She clearly wasn’t happy with her first-round exit, which is only the fourth in her entire Grand Slam career. Given her status in the sport, it’s reasonable to extend Williams some grace here. But choosing not to meet with the media shows that Williams still clearly has a fire in her belly to win, and isn’t taking her early exit lightly.
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