The long awaited return of Serena Williams to a Grand Slam event was short-lived for fans on Tuesday. Williams lost in the first round of Wimbledon to unseeded Harmony Tan in a match with more twists and turns than your typical final.
Williams made her return to Wimbledon after being forced to retire in the first round of the tournament last year due to a hamstring injury. With tears streaming, Williams left the court both in mental and physical pain, and no idea she wouldn’t be back in a singles match for an entire year.
Her return to such a grand stage yesterday marked only the third time Williams has ever been knocked out in the first round of a major. The first time was 10 years ago at the 2012 French Open when she lost to Virginie Razzano and the second was last year against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
Considering Williams had not played a singles match since her exit from Wimbledon last year, she fared well after a rocky start. Tan won the first set 7-5, but Williams was able to battle back and win the second set 6-1 forcing a third. In a thrilling third set, Tan was able to pull off the win 7-6, but not before going into a tiebreaker with Williams (10/7).
Despite Williams not being able to pull off the win, she certainly did not disappoint in her return. She did not show the same level of stamina as she has in years passed, but she did show a level of determination that hasn’t been seen from her in a long time.
For fans around the world, Williams’ appearance whet palates and satiated a hunger to see her return. The hope is that she will continue to pursue that elusive 24th Grand Slam title to tie Margaret Court for the all-time record before officially retiring.
And for Tan, how did she feel after the competition? “For my first Wimbledon it’s wow -- just wow,” said the 24-year-old. “I’m so emotional now. She’s a superstar.” While Tan is a newcomer, she has definitely made her mark on the tennis world and there’s no doubt all eyes will be on her as she continues on in the tournament.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
