Serena Williams’s return to Wimbledon was long-awaited and, ultimately, short-lived.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion was beaten by France’s Harmony Tan, 7–5 1–6, 6–7(7), in a match that ran three hours and 10 minutes. Williams had the support of the crowd at Centre Court and won the first four points of the tiebreaker, but was unable to maintain her momentum. Tan will face No. 32 Sara Sorribes Tormo from Spain in round two on Thursday.
The loss leaves the question lingering of whether this was Williams’s final match at Wimbledon, as she’s already been rumored to retire soon. The 40-year-old has yet to comment publicly on the matter.
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One year ago, Williams retired in her first round match due to an ankle injury. Then, she missed an entire year’s worth of tournaments before announcing that she would be returning to the grass Grand Slam tournament. It’s unclear when Williams will play again.
Given the speculation about her future and the unmatched dominance she’s experienced in the sport, seeing Williams get beaten in the first round garnered plenty of reaction. Check out some of the most notable below:
