Serena Williams is coming back to Wimbledon singles play, and her first opponent will be Maya Joint, a 20-year-old Australian who was not yet competing in Grand Slams the last time Williams played one.
According to Yahoo Sports, the draw for the 2026 Wimbledon tournament was revealed Friday. Williams, 44, is set to face Joint in the first round. The two have never played each other before.
The age gap between them is striking. Joint began competing in professional tennis events in 2021, when she was 14. She did not qualify for a Grand Slam until 2024, reaching the second round at the US Open. Since then she has taken part in every Grand Slam, though she has advanced past the first round only one other time, at the 2025 US Open.
Williams, meanwhile, last played a Grand Slam singles match at the 2022 US Open, where she reached the third round before losing to Ajla Tomljanovic. After that, she "evolved away" from tennis without officially retiring. Her return announcement in June came as a surprise to many in the tennis world.
Since announcing her comeback, Williams has competed in doubles at two events. She and partner Victoria Mboko won their first match at the HSBC Championships before being forced to withdraw after Mboko was injured during a singles match. At the Berlin Open, Williams teamed with Karolina Muchova and lost in the first round.
Wimbledon is widely considered Williams' strongest Grand Slam. She has won the title seven times, including twice before Joint was born. Because Williams had not been an active player for several years, she required a wild card entry to compete. The tournament granted the spot.
When Williams first announced her return, speculation focused on Wimbledon as a likely destination. The timing of her comeback, just weeks before the tournament, suggested the grass-court major was a primary goal.
Fans hoping to see her first Grand Slam singles match in nearly four years will have to wait until Tuesday. First round play at Wimbledon begins Monday, June 29, but Williams and Joint are not scheduled to take the court until the following day.
