When Is Serena Williams’ First 2026 Wimbledon Match? Here's How to Watch Her Return to Tennis
When Is Serena Williams’ First 2026 Wimbledon Match? Here's How to Watch Her Return to Tennis
Emily BlackwoodTue, June 30, 2026 at 12:30 PM UTC
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Serena Williams during the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open on June 16, 2026, in Berlin, GermanyCredit: Robert Prange/Getty -
Serena Williams will compete during the 2026 Wimbledon Championships in both the singles and doubles events
Her first match is against Maya Joint, a 20-year-old Australian player, on June 30
Later in the week, she'll compete in a doubles match with her sister, Venus Williams
Serena Williams is set to make her grand return to Wimbledon.
On June 21, the tennis star announced in a joint Instagram post with the tournament that she would be competing in the ladies' singles event as a wild card. "This is not a drill," Wimbledon captioned the photo, which featured her on a grass court alongside the words, "Serena Returns."
The news followed Serena's announcement of her on-court reunion with her sister, Venus Williams, as the two shared on Instagram that they would compete in the ladies' doubles event at Wimbledon this year.
“My daughter, Olympia, told me I should play with Venus,” Serena told reporters at the Berlin Tennis Open, which marked her second time playing after a nearly four-year hiatus, per WTA. “She's always right."
The tennis pro, who shares daughters Olympia and Adira with her husband Alexis Ohanian, added that her older child is "very smart ... wise." Serena continued, "I said, 'Okay, Olympia, we'll see if we can do it.' "
So, when is Serena Williams' first 2026 Wimbledon match? Here's everything to know about her grand return to tennis and how to watch it.
When is Serena Williams' first 2026 Wimbledon match?
Serena Williams during a practice session on June 25, 2026, in London, EnglandCredit: Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty
Serena's first Wimbledon match will be on Tuesday, June 30, per ESPN.
The tennis star hasn't competed in a singles match since she lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open.
Following her singles event, Serena will hit the court with Venus in a doubles match later in the week.
The sisters have won a total of 14 Grand Slam titles together in doubles — six of which were at Wimbledon.
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What time does Serena Williams' first 2026 Wimbledon match begin?
The exact match time for Serena's first Wimbledon match depends on the order of play, which will be released the night before on the tournament's official website.
Coverage for the event begins on Monday, June 29 at 6 a.m. ET.
Who is Serena Williams playing in her first match at Wimbledon 2026?
Maya Joint at the 2026 Lexus Nottingham Open Women's tennis tournament on June 15, 2026, in Nottingham, EnglandCredit: Owen Hammond/NurPhoto via Getty
According to ESPN, Serena will face off against Maya Joint during her first Wimbledon match.
Though she was born in Michigan like her on-court opponent, the 20-year-old tennis pro represents Australia through her father.
When asked how she felt about facing a legend like Serena, Joint called it an "honor."
"I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams," the tennis player, who made her Wimbledon debut in 2025, told ESPN. "If you told me 10 years ago that I'd be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that's just crazy."
She added, "You just have to play the ball. You can't really think about who you are playing because I'll just get too nervous. I'll just take it one ball at a time."
Where can I watch Serena's first 2026 Wimbledon match?
Serena's first Wimbledon match — and the entire tournament — will be available to watch on Tennis Channel, ESPN, the ESPN App and ESPN's Wimbledon streaming hub.
Coverage begins every day at 6 a.m. ET and will continue until the event ends on July 12.
A full list of where to watch Wimbledon across the globe is available here.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
