Serena Williams Returns to Wimbledon After Four-Year Hiatus

Serena Williams made her highly anticipated return to Wimbledon, captivating the crowd with her powerful serve and resilient spirit.

Serena Williams returned to Wimbledon singles on Tuesday night on Centre Court, losing a tight three-set match to 20-year-old Maya Joint after 1,396 days away. The 44-year-old was roared on by a full house at SW19 as chants of “Come on Serena” accompanied her first singles appearance in four years.

The comeback mattered for its sporting and cultural weight, reintroducing a 23-time Grand Slam champion to the biggest grass-court stage. It also arrived amid questions about anti-doping procedures and ongoing scrutiny of GLP-1 weight-loss treatments, alongside plans for a doubles run that could extend her stay at the Championships.

Last update: 1 July 2026.

Centre Court return: serve firepower and movement test

Williams’ serve remained a major weapon, topping out at 123 mph and producing key points under pressure. Joint, ranked World No 87, absorbed the pace, stood firm on the baseline and extended rallies that exposed Williams’ limited movement into the corners.

The younger player’s resilience and willingness to trade from the back of the court gradually tilted the match in her favour over three sets.

Williams still produced pivotal moments, including a second-set tie-break in which she delivered a serving masterclass, saving a match point and forcing a decider. The longer exchanges, however, favoured the 24-years-younger opponent, highlighting the physical demands of sustained grass-court rallies. The defeat followed a four-year hiatus from singles competition and underlined the gap between her competitive instincts and current court coverage.

Family presence, doubles plan and recent match activity

Williams’ family watched from her box, including husband Alexis Ohanian and daughters Olympia and Adira. Adira, aged two, sat courtside with her father and sister to see her mother compete at a venue where Williams has won seven singles titles. Her sister Venus Williams and brother-in-law, Italian actor Andrea Preti were also present.

Williams is scheduled to play doubles with Venus later in the week, a partnership that has earned them six titles at Wimbledon. The support of a partner is expected to mitigate some movement limitations evident in singles. In the lead-up, Williams competed at the Queen’s Club’s HSBC Championships, winning a round before withdrawing when her partner Victoria Mboko was injured. The doubles entry at SW19 is intended to maintain match rhythm and extend her comeback schedule.

Anti-doping testing pool and Williams’ exact words

Williams re-entered the anti-doping testing pool before confirming her return, which requires players to file daily whereabouts for no-notice checks overseen by the International Tennis Integrity Agency. Addressing the process, she said: “It’s grueling. They changed the rules now. I didn’t know some of the rules. So apparently if you miss a test outside of your window, it still counts as missed. I’m like, I guess I can’t go pick up my kids.” She added: “It’s unprofessional. I hate it. I think it’s necessary, but I think a lot of the stuff, if I want to go places outside of my window, I should be able to go without having it count as a missed test.”

Williams described the system as “unreasonable.” She also said, “That was a big reason why I didn’t want to come back either,” and, “because it’s just so hard. I mean, my life is busy, I run a company, I run a VC company, I travel the world. I have children. It’s like I could be in so many different cities so many different times.” The comments framed her return within a stricter compliance environment and frequent travel demands.

GLP-1 scrutiny and what remains unclear

Questions persist about whether Williams has continued using GLP-1 medication after becoming a paid spokesperson for telehealth company Ro last year. She appeared in a Super Bowl advertisement for the brand and its Zepbound tirzepatide jab, also marketed as Mounjaro and has credited the treatment with a weight loss of approximately 34 pounds (15kg). Her publicist declined to comment when asked if she is still using the drug.

GLP-1s are not on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list, but they remain under ongoing scientific review, with WADA’s study extended in 2026. The status means the medications are currently permitted while research continues into potential performance effects. For Williams, the medical and regulatory backdrop sits alongside a competitive plan that includes doubles at Wimbledon and an expected entry at the US Open later in the summer, with the duration of her singles comeback still uncertain.