Serena Williams next match | Who and when does Williams play next?

Serena Williams return to Wimbledon came to an abrupt end in the first round when she was defeated by Harmony Tan 5-7, 6-1, 6-7(7-10).

It was a gutsy effort by Williams, who was just two points from winning the contest at one point, but she just didn’t quite have enough to see off her adversary. After the match, Williams was asked if that was to be her last appearance at Wimbledon. She didn’t want to commit either way replying, “That’s a question I can’t answer. I don’t know. Who knows where I’ll pop up?”.

When pressed a little harder on whether she wanted that to be her last memory on a court that she’d achieved huge success on she was a little more forthright. “Obviously not,” she said. “You know me. Definitely not. I gave all I could do. Maybe tomorrow I could have given more. Maybe a week ago I could have given more. But today was what I could do. At some point, you have to be able to be OK with that.”

Williams opted to take some time away from the sport in 2021 and missed the 2021 US Open as well as the Australian Open and French Open in 2022. Wimbledon marks her return to Grand Slam tennis, although she has competed in the Eastbourne International earlier in June, partnering with Ons Jabeur and reaching the third third before the pair had to retire due to an injury picked up by Jabeur.

Prior to her sabbatical from tennis, Williams had struggled to perform at the same level, last reaching a final at the 2019 US Open. Her pedigree really shines at Wimbledon though, a competition she’s won seven times. Of the last 12 Wimbledon finals, the American has been in seven of them proving herself to be the woman to beat over the last decade or so but she won’t be appearing on Centre Court again this year with the new guard staking their claim at the front of the queue.

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