London, 01 July (H.S.): American tennis legend Serena Williams' much-anticipated return to Grand Slam singles competition ended in disappointment as the seven-time Wimbledon champion was defeated in the first round by Australia's 20-year-old Maya Joint on Tuesday.

Joint overcame the 44-year-old Williams 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to book her place in the second round, bringing an end to Serena's comeback campaign.

The match marked Serena's first singles appearance since the 2022 US Open. Having been away from singles competition for nearly four years, she entered Wimbledon on a wild card, with no current singles ranking.

Although Serena displayed flashes of the power and aggressive baseline game that defined her career, including her trademark serves and groundstrokes, world No. 87 Maya Joint held her nerve at crucial moments to secure the biggest victory of her young career.

Speaking after the match, Serena said returning to Wimbledon was an emotional and unforgettable experience.

It was incredibly special to be back at Wimbledon. I never imagined I would play here again. Walking onto Centre Court and receiving such wonderful support from the crowd is something I will always cherish. I enjoyed every moment, she said.

Joint admitted she struggled to sleep the night before facing one of the greatest players in tennis history.

I still can't believe what happened. Serena is a legend. Playing on this court has been my dream since I was a child, and defeating her is simply unbelievable, she said after the victory.

Both players committed 37 unforced errors during the match. However, Joint proved more effective in attack, striking 40 winners compared to Serena's 26.

The victory was Joint's first-ever Wimbledon main-draw win in only her second appearance at the All England Club. Serena, meanwhile, leaves the tournament with an outstanding record of 98 Wimbledon singles victories over her illustrious career.

Serena is now set to compete in the women's doubles event alongside her elder sister, Venus Williams, later this week.

Other notable results:

Alexander Zverev defeated Alexander Blockx 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (0).

Iga Swiatek beat Taylor Townsend 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to advance to the second round.

Elena Rybakina progressed with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Lois Boisson.

Fourth seed Ben Shelton suffered a shock five-set defeat to Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen.

Matteo Berrettini advanced to the second round after defeating Stan Wawrinka in what marked the Swiss veteran's final Wimbledon appearance.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar