Overview
- Serena Williams was defeated by Maya Joint in a three-set opening match at Wimbledon, losing 3–6, 7–6, 3–6 in a closely contested contest.
- Williams rallied to win the second set in a tiebreak as the crowd rose to its feet, and event reports credited her with a serve that reached 196 km/h.
- She had rejoined the tour in June in doubles after stepping away following the 2022 US Open, making this her first Wimbledon singles appearance in four years.
- Joint called the match an "unbelievable" experience and described the pressure of facing a player she long admired.
- Separately, Japanese pairing Shuko Aoyama and Liang En-shuo won their first-round doubles match to reach the Wimbledon second round, a parallel storyline in the tournament.