Serena Williams might well be one and done at Wimbledon with reports circulating that the veteran’s tennis comeback has been spoiled by injury.

London’s Times reported that the 44-year-old wild card who lost in the singles first round on Tuesday against 20-year-old Maya Joint, injured her knee during the first set.

Williams faded in the third set to take a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 loss to the Australian.

The outlet reported that 23-time Grand Slam winner Williams suffered the injury and later skipped the obligatory post-match media conference.

Indications are that Williams avoided the standard USD 50,000 fine, with the medical issues caused by the knee problem used as the excuse to slip through a loophole.

The Times said that a pair of crutches was brought to the locker room for Williams after the defeat, but she did not use them.

Williams played her last singles match in September, 2022, when she apparently ended her career at the US Open to move into business and social media influencing as a major cultural figure

.But the chance at a Wimbledon wild card was too much of a temptation, with the veteran taking up the offer just before the tournament started.

Williams’ agent released a statement after Williams produced two sentences for public consumption after her defeat.

‘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,” handler Jill Smoller said.

“She left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match.”

Williams and her elder sister Venus, winners of six doubles trophies here, are due to compete at the tournament, though that plan might now be in doubt.

US-born Australian Maya Joint put an end to the Serena Williams Wimbledon singles comeback as the 20-year-old eliminated the former No. 1 with 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 first-round win on Tuesday.

The loss to a player coming out of an illness slump and losing 13 of her last 14 previous matches still leaves Williams breathing room after her battle on Centre Court in front of a sympathetic crowd..

The 44-year-old will play in doubles here with her 46-year-old sister Venus as the pair try to re-live their glory years when they won six Wimbledon titles together,

“I don’t know what just happened, to be honest,” the stunned winner said. “I didnt get much sleep last night. I was up to 2 a.m. thinking about it.

“During the warmup my legs weren’t moving. I don’t know how but I got off to a pretty good start,” she said after two hours,22 minutes.

“Serena is an aura, a legend. I’ve been dreaming of this moment ever since I was a little kid. It’s all pretty crazy.”

Joint said she felt her nerves trying to close out the win after blowing a second-set match point.

“She lifted her level as I was trying to finish it off. But I had the belief that I could win, so I took advantage of the moment.”

Williams, who accepted a wild card singles entry a week ago after pondering the plan, was watched by her husband and two daughters as she played an official match for the first time since the 2022 US Open.

Williams last competed on the Wimbledon grass in 2022 and has now lost in the first round in her last three appearances. She won the title seven times during her heyday as a top-ranked threat.

The 87th-ranked Joint broke Williams in the penultimate game of the opening set, claiming it a game later with a forehand winner to the corner.

The youngster started the second set with a break of the veteran but was passed as Williams got it back for 3-all.

Joint responded immediately with a re-break with William answering again and gaining confidence in the 11th game, where she overcame two double-faults and saved for break points.

The icon saved a match point in the tiebreaker and took it into a third set second later from a Joint return error.

The Aussie came from a break down in the final set and advanced to the second round on her third match point as Williams returned long.

Williams was competing here for the 22nd time and lost only her fourth career Grand Slam match in the first round against 78 victories at the opening stage.

Qualifier Otto Virtanen sent fourth seed Ben Shelton his earliest-ever loss at Wimbledon as the Finn worked for nearly four and a half hours to advance 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (9) on Tuesday.

French Open champion Alexander Zverev polished off a love tiebreaker  with a 21st ace to convert on the first of six match points in a 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (0) defeat of rising Belgian Alexander Blockx.

The German second seed earned his third win of the season over the youngster, who is now top 30 after starting 2026 outside the top 100.

Zverev, who has exited here twice in the first round, is hoping to set a personal best on the London grass.

“I hope to have the best result of my career (here),” the 29-year-old winner said. “But I struggle on grass for some reason.

“It’s still the biggest honour in tennis to play on this (Centre) court.”

He added: “Having (the Roland Garros title) in the back of your head really helps. I believe I can play well on this surface and I’m very happy about that.”

No. 140 Virtanen stunned Shelton in what the American called “one of the toughest losses I’ve taken for sure”

The Scandinavian winner who missed the event a year ago with injury and is only now establishing rhythm in his schedule, saved a match point in the fifth-set tiebreaker.

He finished off the upset as Shelton sent a forehand return wide down the line on match point.

“I don’t know if I have a heart left, it may have jumped out of my body,” the winner said.

“This is the biggest win of my career. I’ve had a great month on grass (finals in two English Challengers).

“It feels so good to be back, I missed not playing her last year when I was injured. Now I’ve got a big win on a big court in one of my favourite places.

“I’ve been playing well for a month, I feel healthy, I’m sure more results will come.”

Shelton was still processing the heavy defeat.

“I didn’t even think I played a poor match today. Things just didn’t go my way.

“But I’m going to treat this as any other tournament and I’ll be right back on the practice courts in a couple of days.”

Fifth seed Alex de Minaur shrugged off a slow start ro defeat Roman Andres Burruchaga 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-0 as he picked up pace in the final two ses.

The Australian reached the second round for the seventh time in eight appearances with his victory in two hours over the No. 65 Argentine.

 “It was a little bit of a slow, nervy start. Roman lifted his level and the first set was a battle. I had a slow start, and then I got back into it. From then on it was pretty tight.

“It could have gone either way. (After the first set)  I was able to kind of free up and take it to that next level, next gear. I played a really confident second and third set, which I was really proud of.”

Sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz walked onto court wearing a white suit from his clothing sponsor, defeating Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 after the lucky loser replaced injured Brit Jack Draper in the draw. 

French hope Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard failed to capitalise on an early lead, taking a loss to Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann (6-7 (6), 7-6 (9), 6-2, 6-3.

Another home player fell, with Jack Pinnington Jones going out to Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 7-6 (5), 7-5.

He was joined by debutant compatriot Harry Wendelken, who lost to France’s Valetin Royer 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.

French-born adopted Brit saved the day with his 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 fightback over Damir Dzumhur.

Local Jakob Ferrnley joined in, advancing past Alex Michelsen in a battle from two sets to love down 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.