Serena Williams Wimbledon 2026 return: Where and when to watch first round vs Maya Joint and other details
Serena Williams has already started preparations. She was seen practicing on the Wimbledon grass on June 25, looking sharp ahead of her comeback. Her powerful game on this surface has always been special, and her return adds star quality and emotion to the 2026 Championships.
Tennis fans worldwide are buzzing as Serena Williams is set to return to Wimbledon for the first time since her retirement. The 23-time Grand Slam champion received a wild card for the ladies’ singles event, and the news has created huge excitement across the sport.
On June 22, Wimbledon confirmed her participation with a special Instagram post showing Serena on the grass courts. The caption read, “This is not a drill” and “Serena Returns.” The announcement also revealed that she will team up with sister Venus Williams in the ladies’ doubles competition later in the week. The Williams sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including six at Wimbledon.
Serena shared that the doubles idea came from her daughter. “My daughter, Olympia, told me I should play with Venus. She's always right. I said, 'Okay, Olympia, we'll see if we can do it.' ”
Serena Williams first Wimbledon match date and opponent
Serena’s opening singles match is scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, 2026. This marks her first singles appearance since losing in the third round of the 2022 US Open to Ajla Tomljanovic.
She will face 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the first round. Joint, who was born in Michigan but represents Australia. She is excited yet focused for the big occasion.
Maya Joint shares honest thoughts on facing Serena Williams
Joint called the matchup an honour and a dream come true.
“I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams,” she told ESPN. “If you told me 10 years ago that I'd be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that's just crazy.”
She added, “You just have to play the ball. You can't really think about who you are playing because I'll just get too nervous. I'll just take it one ball at a time.”
How to watch Serena Williams vs Maya Joint, Wimbledon 2026 Live
US viewers can watch on ESPN, the ESPN App, Tennis Channel, and ESPN’s Wimbledon streaming hub. International fans also have access through ESPN platforms.
In India, the matches will be broadcast live on Star Sports television. Online streaming is available on JioHotstar, giving fans easy access on mobile, tablet, or smart TV.
Serena has already started preparations. She was seen practicing on the Wimbledon grass on June 25, looking sharp ahead of her comeback. Her powerful game on this surface has always been special, and her return adds star quality and emotion to the 2026 Championships.
Whether she goes deep in the draw or not, Serena’s presence on court again is a moment tennis fans have waited for.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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