Williams later wrote on Instagram: “It was so nice to be back. “I’m incredibly grateful for the wildcard—and even more grateful to my daughters that it’s never too late to do what you love.”
“I hurt my knee at the end of the first set, but I’ll do my best to be ready for the doubles set.
“Congratulations to Maya on a great match and thank you to everyone who came and showed me so much love. This feeling never gets old.”
Missing a brace would be a hugely disappointing end to Williams’ long-awaited return to the All England Club.
The American superstar has been the center of attention at SW19 for the past few days, with interest in why she’s returning and what she’ll look like on court.
Williams played what she believed to be the final match of her career at the 2022 US Open, but pointedly refused to use the word “retirement” and instead said she was “retiring” from tennis.
After 1,462 days away from Wimbledon, she returned to Center Court on Tuesday.
Where she won her seven singles titles and six women’s doubles titles, Williams showed signs of her peerless talent and could pull off a sensational victory over 20-year-old Joynt.
However, the JDC held on to win 6-3, 6-7 (6-8) 6-3.