Serena Williams Expresses Gratitude Following Incredible Return to Wimbledon

Yesterday was a major occasion for tennis fans, as Serena Williams came out of retirement to compete at Wimbledon. On Tuesday, June 30, Williams took on Australian tennis player Maya Joint in the tournament’s first round, and though she fell to her opponent in three sets (3-6, 7-6 and 3-6), Williams’s return to the grass court was an incredible moment to watch.

Earlier today, the four-time Olympian took to Instagram to express her gratitude over yesterday’s singles play while also providing fans with a bit of an update regarding her planned doubles match alongside sister Venus Williams.

“It felt so good to be back on the grass at @wimbledon,” Williams, 44, wrote. “I’m incredibly thankful for the wild card - and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it’s never too late to chase something you love. I tweaked my knee late in the first set, but I’ll be doing everything I can to be ready for doubles with @venuswilliams.”

While the Williams sisters were set to play in the first round of doubles play on Thursday, July 2, it seems the match may be in jeopardy due to Serena’s injury. In her Instagram post, Williams also demonstrated her classy nature by congratulating Joint on her victory.

“Congratulations to @maya.joint on a great match, and thank you to everyone who showed up and showed me so much love,” she stated. “That feeling will never get old.”

Alongside her note, Williams shared a nine image carousel, primarily composed of action shots from the court that highlighted her swing and Nike gear. The final three photos were dedicated to her daughters, Olympia and Adira, who cheered their mom on with a sweet sign and watched her play from the stands.

Tons of the professional athlete’s 17.8 million followers on the platform chimed into the comments section with praise. While the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion didn’t walk away with a win yesterday, the act of coming out of semi-retirement four years after announcing she would be stepping away from the sport of tennis to prioritize other pursuits was a victory in and of itself.

“Just the first step. LFG 💪🏻 🐐,” fellow G.O.A.T. Lindsey Vonn cheered.

“We are all so proud of you! Go Rena go!” five-time Grammy Award nominee Ciara added.

“Absolutely incredible!!!” supermodel Ashley Graham chimed.

“The pleasure is all ours, Serena 🫶,” the official Wimbledon account declared.

While only time will tell whether or not Williams is healthy enough to compete in doubles play later this week, we wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her out on the grass court again soon!

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