Serena Williams to Face Maja Joint in Wimbledon Singles Return
Serena Williams is set to play against Australia's Maja Joint in her highly anticipated return to singles tennis at Wimbledon, marking her first singles match in four years since retiring. The match features two players born nearly 25 years apart.
Joint, a promising 20-year-old, has experienced a challenging season with a 3-15 record in 2026. The victor of this opening round encounter could meet the in-form Filipino 25th seed Alexandra Eala in the next round.
Potential Third Round Clash with Iga Swiatek
If Williams advances, she may face third seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round. Swiatek will begin her title defense against Taylor Townsend. Both players are positioned in the bottom half of the draw, which is led by Elena Rybakina.
Williams’ Return Details
Williams has not competed in singles since officially retiring at the 2022 US Open. Speculation about her comeback intensified in December when the 44-year-old re-entered the drug testing pool. She made her doubles return at Queen’s earlier this month, and Wimbledon announced on Sunday that Williams received the final wildcard entry into the women’s singles draw.
Additionally, Williams has been granted a women’s doubles wildcard alongside her sister Venus Williams. The pair have won the Wimbledon doubles title six times. Serena is a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion and holds 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Emma Raducanu Drawn Against Tough Opponents
Emma Raducanu, seeded 30th, faces a challenging draw once again at Wimbledon. She is projected to meet world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round for the second consecutive year. Raducanu, who is managing a minor injury ahead of the Championships, will start her campaign against Antonia Ruzic.
In the potential second round, Raducanu could face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, the highest-ranked unseeded player in the tournament.
Sabalenka, the top seed, will open her tournament against Teodora Kostovic. Fourth seed Jessica Pegula is also drawn in Sabalenka’s half.
