Serena Williams’ return to Wimbledon: What you need to know about her return match

The first round of Wimbledon is not usually treated like the main event. Serena Williams’ return is one exception.

Williams, 44, is scheduled to play Wimbledon’s first singles match since 2022 on Tuesday, June 30, against 20-year-old Australian Maya Joynt, and tennis fans are excited with anticipation.

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Williams has not played in a singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open. After losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round at the US Open, he “stepped away” from professional tennis. In the years since then, she has given birth to her second child, expanded her business activities, and transitioned into the kind of post-tennis chapter that most fans thought would last forever.

The comeback didn’t come out of nowhere. Williams has been slowly returning to the court since 2025, but the singles decision wasn’t automatic, according to Williams. At a pre-tournament press conference she said that Wimbledon had given her a wild card but she would not know yet until the final day before the draw.

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Williams said part of his hesitation came from what he needed off the court to return to professional tennis. In order to compete again, she would have to re-enter tennis’ anti-doping testing pool and be allowed to participate under the sport’s whereabouts rules. The rules require players to have a one-hour testing window each day and officials to keep updated on where they can be tested.

Williams told reporters the process had been “grueling,” especially for someone who juggles tennis, children, travel and running multiple businesses. She said she understands why testing is needed, but argued that parts of the system feel unreasonable for players whose lives don’t fit neatly into one location or one schedule.

But ultimately, “I thought I should really take advantage of this opportunity,” Williams said. “Who knows if I’ll ever be back here again? Maybe this is it.”

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Williams has won seven Wimbledon singles titles and 23 total Grand Slam singles titles. But this time, Williams said her expectations were different. She talked more about enjoying the chance to compete again than chasing history.

Tennis players said the comeback was a significant moment for the sport. Novak Djokovic called it “emotional” and “epic”, while Aryna Sabalenka said Williams’ return has brought even more attention to tennis. Online, fans track her practice sessions, press conference statements, wild-card news, and even prediction market activity over whether she’ll actually take the court.

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But the reaction wasn’t entirely celebratory.

Williams’ wild card also reopened the debate about access and fairness in Grand Slam tournaments. A wild card is an arbitrary entry. This means that tournaments can award wild cards to players who don’t qualify strictly by ranking. In Williams’ case, Wimbledon left the last spot open before giving her a wildcard spot in women’s singles.

The decision has irritated some fans, who argue that any player on tour could have taken advantage of the slot and that Williams should remain retired.

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Meanwhile, Williams’ draw has also drawn attention to her opponent, Maya Joynt. The joint came after Williams had already won several Grand Slam titles, and she speaks of him with nothing but respect.

“I’m honored,” Joynt told WTA. “I always dreamed of playing with Serena Williams. If you had told me 10 years ago that I would play in her first match at Wimbledon, that would be crazy.”

Still, a win against Williams at Wimbledon would cement her career.

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The result could be a turnaround moment for Serena, a breakout for Maya Joynt, or simply an early indication of what this version of Williams can bring to the court. Either way, this match is already bigger than a typical one-round match, and we at Mashable will be keeping an eye on it.