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Serena Williams has risked $50,000 fine after first round Wimbledon defeat
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Asiya A.
Serena Williams could be fined $50K after her first-round defeat at Wimbledon.
The 44-year-old made her long-awaited return to singles action on Tuesday (June 31), playing her first individual match in four years.
Although the 23-time Grand Slam champion battled hard against Australia’s Maya Joint, she was beaten in three sets after more than two hours on court.
Now, there have been concerns over whether she'll be able to continue her comeback in the doubles competition alongside her sister, Venus Williams, later this week.
Williams suffered a knee injury during the match
After the match, Williams did not appear for her scheduled media commitments, with her agent, Jill Smoller, later confirming she had sustained a knee injury late in the opening set.
"Serena tweaked her knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams," Smoller said. "She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week."
The mom-of-two's opening doubles match could take place on either Thursday or Friday.
Why Williams avoided a possible $50,000 fine
Under the 2026 Grand Slam rule book, which applies at Wimbledon as well as the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open, both winners and losers are expected to attend post-match media sessions.
The regulations state that "both winning and losing players or teams will be required to attend post-match media opportunities following the conclusion of each match," and that "these opportunities enable players to put across their opinions on their performance and provide valuable exposure to the media and fans".
Players who fail to comply can be fined up to $50,000. However, the rules also allow exemptions on "reasonable grounds," including injury or illness.
Wimbledon officials accepted Williams' medical explanation and instead released a statement from the seven-time champion on her behalf.
"It was really great to be back at Wimbledon," the athlete said in a statement. "I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything."
Meanwhile, Joint spoke on-court after her victory, telling the crowd: "I really don’t know what to say right now. I don’t know what just happened, to be honest," per Metro.
"I didn’t get much sleep last night, I was up until 2AM just thinking about it. Walking out, I forgot the warm-up, I don’t know what happened. My legs weren’t moving. I really don’t know how I got a pretty good start in the match.
"She [Serena Williams] has so much aura, she is such a legend. This court has had so many huge names that have played in it. I have been dreaming about this since I was a little kid so this is pretty crazy.
"I think the toughest part was just trying to come out on court and play a match against her. The start was nerve-wracking. Trying to finish out the match as well, I think she definitely lifted her level. She played some great tennis there," she added.