Welcome to July and welcome back to ESPN's live updates as we enter the second round of Wimbledon 2026.
Serena Williams' return was short lived last night as she lost her first round match to American Maya Joint.
Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka both won their second round matches while Novak Djokovic eased past Stefanos Tsitsipas on Centre Court this evening.
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On Tuesday, Serena Williams' eagerly anticipated return to singles competition after nearly four years away ended with a loss in the first round on Tuesday.
Playing under the roof on Centre Court against Maya Joint, a 20-year-old American-born Australian, Williams battled for two hours and 22 minutes but came up short, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3. At the end of the match, Williams smiled and waved joyously to the crowd, which included her 8-year-old daughter Olympia, as she walked off the court.
In turn, the fans, who had been loudly cheering and chanting for her throughout the evening, showered the 23-time major champion with another standing ovation. Had the 44-year-old Williams been victorious, she would have become the oldest player to win a major singles match since a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova did so at Wimbledon in 2004. -- D'Arcy Maine.
