Serena Williams did not have the fairy tale return to Wimbledon that she was hoping for.
Williams had not played any singles matches since the 2022 US Open, before receiving a wildcard to return to Wimbledon this year.
Many had given Williams a chance to beat her first round opponent, Maya Joint, who was coming into the match having only won one of her last 14.
However, it was not meant to be for Williams, who was beaten by Joint 6-3, 6(6)-7, 6-3, despite the clear instructions from her coaching team.
Laura Robson reveals what Serena Williams’ coaches were shouting at her
Williams was understandably rusty in the early stages of the match on Centre Court, where she placed many returns into the net.
Former British number one Laura Robson was reporting courtside for the BBC during the match, and revealed that Williams’ coaches Jarmere Jenkins and Rennae Stubbs were both telling her to be more disciplined on her return.
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“I have such a great look in at Jarmere and Rennae in Serena’s coaching box and Jarmere has been shouting a lot to have more discipline on the return,” said Robson.
“When the return is going to the backhand, Maya Joint just soaks the pace up. It can afford to be slower if it goes to the forehand because you know you are not going to get punished on that plus one shot.
“There is a lot of instruction coming Serena’s way, but most of it is to get to the forehand and have the discipline to stay low with the legs. They look pretty okay in terms of tension in the box. They are taking a lot of pictures!”
Williams certainly appeared to listen to this advice for the second set, where she increased her rate of points won on return and broke Joint’s serve twice.
It was actually the third set where Williams won the greatest percentage of points on Joint’s serve, but she was also broken twice on her own.
| Serena Williams’ return vs Maya Joint | First Set | Second Set | Third Set |
| Return points won | 11/34 (32.4%) | 20/50 (40%) | 16/39 (41.0%) |
| Break point conversion rate | 0/2 (0%) | 2/5 (40%) | 1/4 (25%) |
Robson also reported that Williams’ coaching team were telling her to focus on her breathing and to relax more during the points, with Jenkins also calling for her to utilise a slice backhand more.
“Something that the coaching team of Serena has been trying to point out to her is the breathing,” added Robson.
“At times in the first set it looked like she wanted it so badly that she was almost forgetting to relax into the shot and you saw those points where she didn’t have the conviction that we expect from her, especially on the backhand side. It looked like sometimes she was pulling across the body.
“But in the past two games there has been a bit more of a release, even though she was broken. I feel like it’s picking up the energy levels when you are taking a breath before the shot as well as before the point.
“The other thing I am hearing a lot is to use the slice backhand. Jarmere is wanting her to use that shot more. We saw it once or twice, and Maya doesn’t necessarily have the best feel when she’s forced to slow it down. Just to mix up the pace. She really has not been pushed up from the baseline at all.”
What do you think Serena Williams needs to do to make her comeback successful?
What is next for Serena Williams?
Serena Williams’ singles campaign at Wimbledon this year has been short-lived, but The Championships are not yet over for the former world number one.
As well as singles, Serena has also received a wildcard to play in the doubles tournament alongside her older sister Venus, who was in her players’ box against Joint.
Serena and Venus Williams also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles to go alongside their singles accolades, with six of those victories coming at Wimbledon.
As they partner up for the first time in nearly four years, the Williams sisters will play against the pairing of Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in the first round.
The women’s doubles draw at Wimbledon will get underway from Wednesday, July 1, with Serena and Venus expected to play their first round match on Thursday.
