After a one year of layoff from singles play, Serena Williams started her comeback Tuesday at Wimbledon to fall in the third set tie-breaker to 115th-ranked Harmony Tan of France 5–7, 6–1, 6–7 (10–7) lasting three hours 11 minutes.
Considered the world’s greatest women’s player who spent over 300 weeks at No. 1, Williams dropped in the rankings to No. 1204 after a 364-day layoff due to injuring her right hamstring from slipping on the wet Centre Court grass in the first set of her first-round match in 2021.
The 40-year-old American is a seven-time champion at Wimbledon and holds the record for most career Grand Slam titles with 23 in the professional era—but she needed a wild-card invitation to play singles at the tournament this year.
Williams returned to doubles last week, winning two matches with World No. 2 Ons Jabeur at a grass-court tournament in Eastbourne, England before Jabeur succumbed to injury.
“A little surreal,” said Williams, “sitting here again.” Last year’s injury was “a tremendous amount of motivation.”
“I didn’t retire. I just needed to heal physically, mentally. And I had no plans, to be honest. I just didn’t know when I would come back. I didn’t know how I would come back,” said Williams. “Obviously, Wimbledon is such a great place to be, and it just kind of worked out.”
“It definitely makes me want to hit the practice courts because you’re playing not bad and you’re so close,” added Williams. “Any other opponent probably would have suited my game better.”
After losing a close first set 5–7, Williams stormed back to dominate the second set 6–1; but had to battle for 20 minutes to win the second game that had 12 deuces along the way to a 5–0 lead.
Williams increased her serving percentage and pace in the second set; from winning just 57 percent of her first-serve points in the first set, to 80 percent in the second.
Williams also dropped her unforced errors from 22 in the first set, to 13 in the second.
“I think if you’re playing week in, week out, or even every three weeks, every four weeks, there’s a little bit more match toughness,” Williams said. “But with that being said, I felt like I played pretty OK on some of ‘em, not all of ’em. Maybe some key ones I definitely could have played better.”
In the third set, Williams fought to have the opportunity to serve for the match at 5–4, and two points from victory at 30–15, before Tan broke to tie 5–5.
Both Tan and Williams would then tie at 6–6 to go to a tiebreaker, where Williams took a commanding lead at 4–0.
“You got to think if I were playing matches I wouldn’t miss some of those points or this match,” she said.
Tan would rally in the third set tie-breaker (10–7) for the victory as Williams seemed fatigued, making numerous forced, and unforced, errors.
“For my first Wimbledon, it’s wow. Just wow,” said the 24-year-old Tan, stating she watched Williams as a child, also recalling that Williams competed against her coach.
“When I saw the draw, I was really scared,” exclaimed Tan with laughter, “because it’s Serena Williams. She’s a legend. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, how can I play?’”
Williams, who grew up in Los Angeles, is hopeful to continue her comeback and play at the US Open in September in New York, which she currently calls home.
“When you’re at home, especially in New York, and the US Open, that being the first place I’ve won a Grand Slam, is something that’s always super special,” said Williams. “There’s definitely lots of motivation to get better and to play at home.”
Regarding the possibility that the match at Wimbledon was her last, “That’s a question I can’t answer,” said Williams. “I don’t know. Who knows? Who knows where I'll pop up.”
“Like I said coming into this, I’m just planning for right now, seeing how I feel, just to go from there.”
