Serena Williams to face Maya Joint in Wimbledon opening round

Serena Williams is scheduled to play 20‑year‑old Australian Maya Joint in the first round of Wimbledon.

The 44‑year‑old, seven‑time Wimbledon champion received a wild‑card entry, making her first singles appearance in almost four years.

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The pairing creates a generational contrast, as the 23‑time Grand Slam champion faces a player born six years after Williams won her first major.

Since a first‑round defeat at the Australian Open earlier this year—when she entered as the 30th seed—Joint has won only one match. Her ranking has fallen, and she enters the Tuesday match ranked 87th worldwide, despite recovering from a back injury that has limited her play.

Joint said on Friday after the singles draw, “I never thought I’d get the opportunity to play against her because she stopped playing when I first got on the tour.”

She added, “So when I saw that she received a wild card to return to singles, I always wanted to experience playing against her. It’s something few people have had the chance to say they’ve done, so I’m very excited for the opportunity.”

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She described Williams as “just a super aggressive player. I love the way she hits the ball so hard. I tried to do that when I was younger, but it was amazing to see how dominant she was throughout her career.”

The match is scheduled for one of Wimbledon’s main courts, and a first‑round defeat still earns a prize of £80,000 ($153,000).