Serena Williams crashes out of Wimbledon singles as return to grand stage short-lived

Serena Williams has crashed out of the singles at Wimbledon as the 44-year-old fell short in her first solo match in four years.

Williams, who will still play at SW19 in the doubles with her sister Venus, lost to Australian Maya Joint, 24 years her junior.

Joint beat Williams 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in what proved an emotional occasion on Centre Court.

Williams had deliberated until the final moment about accepting a wild card entry, but ultimately concluded the opportunity was too significant to pass up.

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The atmosphere inside Centre Court was electric as spectators awaited Williams' arrival, with the arena erupting the moment she emerged wearing headphones over her ears.

The retractable roof had been shut to avoid any interruption should nightfall during play, which only served to amplify the thunderous reception.

Williams' support box was packed with family, including sister Venus and her two daughters, though All England Club regulations meant two-year-old Adira was unable to remain for the match itself.

Eight-year-old Olympia stayed courtside with her father Alexis Ohanian to watch her mother compete on tennis's most famous stage.

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On paper, Joint appeared a favourable draw for Williams, having minimal grand slam experience and just a single victory in her previous 14 outings.

Yet the 24-year age gap inevitably told as the contest wore on, with Joint's physical advantage becoming increasingly apparent from midway through the opening set.

Williams' powerful serve remained a weapon, a 121mph ace in the sixth game drawing audible gasps, but her movement around the court could not keep pace with her shot-making.

After dropping the first set in 35 minutes, Williams rallied magnificently to force a decider, saving match point in the tie-break before taking a 2-1 lead in the third.

From there, Joint claimed four consecutive games before sealing victory on her third match point.

Joint spoke afterwards about the magnitude of facing her childhood idol.

The Australian said: "I didn't get much sleep last night, I was up till 2am just thinking about it.

"She has such an aura, she's such a legend. I've been dreaming about this since I was a little kid, so this is pretty crazy."

Williams became the oldest competitor in the women's singles draw at the Championships since Martina Navratilova appeared at the age of 47 in 2004.

While her singles journey has concluded, the American will return to Centre Court for doubles action with Venus, giving fans another chance to witness the legendary siblings in action.

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