Serena Williams walked out onto Wimbledon's Centre Court, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and smiled at the ovation that greeted her.
Williams has consistently said she has nothing left to prove as she resumes the tennis career from which she evolved away in 2022.
But no-one was sure what to expect on Tuesday evening when she faced Australia's Maya Joint in what was the 44-year-old's first singles match in four years.
There would have been a moment of relief for Williams when she won her first point at SW19 for 1,462 days - a forced error from Joint in response to a huge return of serve from the American.
The match ended in a 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 win for Joint, who started strongly, weathered a second-set dip, and regrouped impressively from a break down in the third.
Williams has consistently said she has nothing left to prove as she resumes the tennis career from which she evolved away in 2022.
But no-one was sure what to expect on Tuesday evening when she faced Australia's Maya Joint in what was the 44-year-old's first singles match in four years.
There would have been a moment of relief for Williams when she won her first point at SW19 for 1,462 days - a forced error from Joint in response to a huge return of serve from the American.
The match ended in a 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 win for Joint, who started strongly, weathered a second-set dip, and regrouped impressively from a break down in the third.
4 months ago
