Serena Williams’ singles comeback was cut short as she suffered a three-set loss to Australia’s Maya Joint in the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. Former US Open champion Andy Roddick believes the loss could be a good sign for Williams.
On his podcast “Served,” Roddick and tennis insider Jon Wertheim discussed Day 2 of Wimbledon. Wertheim said the loss would only strengthen the 23-time Grand Slam winner’s belief that she can continue playing at the highest level.
Roddick then suggested that the loss could benefit her fans, as it would only encourage Williams to seek new opportunities to compete.
“I think this will burn her in a way that’s good for the rest of us as fans,” said Roddick (28:00).
Serena Williams To Shift Focus To Doubles After 1R Loss To Maya Joint At Wimbledon
Serena Williams showed flashes of her best tennis in her 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 loss to Maya Joint. The 23-time Grand Slam champion led by a break in the final set, but ran out of steam and lost five of the last six games.
For Joint, this victory was one of the biggest in her career, especially since she has long dreamed of playing Williams.
Speaking in her post-match press conference after the win, Joint said about the crazy atmosphere on Center Court:
“I think the stadium is pretty much what I expected. You know, full, a full stadium and very loud. But, you know, they also cheered a lot for me, which I didn’t think they were going to do as much as they did. That was a nice surprise.”
“But the atmosphere was amazing. I mean, I don’t know the last time I played in such a full stadium. So that was amazing. Yeah, stepping out on court with Serena was, yeah, something I never thought I’d get to do. Yeah, I mean, I don’t think I have quite processed it yet.”
After her early singles exit, Williams will shift her focus to doubles. She is set to team up with her sister Venus to face Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in the first round.
Joint, meanwhile, will face Alexandra Eala in the second round.
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