The 20-year-old Australian survives a three-set Centre Court thriller to defeat the 23-time Grand Slam champion, spoiling Serena Williams' first Wimbledon singles appearance in nearly four years.
LONDON | One of the most memorable nights of this year's Wimbledon Championships belonged not to the sport's most decorated champion, but to one of its brightest young stars.
Australia's Maya Joint produced the biggest victory of her career by defeating Serena Williams 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in a dramatic first-round battle on Centre Court, ending the legendary American's highly anticipated return to Grand Slam singles competition.
The victory instantly becomes the signature moment of Joint's young career, while Williams' emotional comeback reminded the tennis world why she remains one of the sport's most influential and celebrated figures.
Williams, making her first Grand Slam singles appearance in 1,397 days since the 2022 US Open, showed flashes of the championship form that produced 23 Grand Slam singles titles and seven Wimbledon crowns. But despite pushing the match into a deciding set and briefly taking control, she ultimately could not overcome the fearless Australian.

