Serena Williams is set to make her singles return at Wimbledon against Australian Maya Joint in the first round. The seven-time women’s champion at the All England Club received a wildcard for her singles comeback at the age of 44, having not competed since the US Open in 2022. Joint, who is 20 years old, experienced a first-round exit in her Wimbledon main-draw debut last year and has secured only one victory in her last 14 matches.

In the men’s draw, Britain’s Jack Draper faces a challenging opening match against American sixth seed Taylor Fritz. Draper is continuing his return after a series of injury issues and recently reached the Eastbourne semi-finals in his first tournament since April. He was still ranked within the top 100 when the entry list closed, securing his place in the draw despite his current ranking outside it.

British players’ draw outcomes

Emma Raducanu, the British number one and 30th seed, is scheduled to begin her campaign against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic. However, there are concerns regarding her fitness following a shin injury that prevented her from practicing on Thursday. Raducanu could potentially meet top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, a repeat of their encounter at Wimbledon last year.

Another notable British player, Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th in the men’s singles, will start against American qualifier Michael Zheng. Norrie, who reached the semi-finals in 2022, could face Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round. Katie Boulter, Francesca Jones, and Jan Choinski also secured their spots through their rankings.

Twelve British players were granted wildcards, six men and six women. Among them, Toby Samuel has a tough first-round match against French Open semi-finalist Jakub Mensik. Three players, Ollie Tarvet, Billy Harris, and Max Basing, successfully qualified after winning three matches this week, marking the highest number of home players to qualify since 1999.

Williams’ anticipated return

The women’s draw ceremony on Friday generated significant anticipation, particularly concerning Serena Williams’ placement. As a wildcard entry, Williams could have been drawn against a top-ranked player like Aryna Sabalenka or Iga Swiatek, or a lower-ranked qualifier. Her match against 20-year-old Maya Joint appears to be a favorable start.

Williams’ return to singles action has been a topic of discussion since she re-entered the anti-doping testing pool. Her comfort on grass and the surface’s comparatively lower physical demands are seen as factors favoring her comeback. She has played two doubles matches since beginning her return earlier this month and will also compete in the Wimbledon doubles event alongside her older sister Venus Williams, with whom she has won the title six times.

Former Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig expressed surprise at Williams’ decision to accept a singles wildcard so soon, but acknowledged the excitement it brings to tennis and Wimbledon. Puig highlighted Williams’ champion mindset and competitive nature, suggesting she will approach the tournament with a strong mentality. Williams’ serve, which reached an impressive 120mph at Queen’s Club, is expected to be a crucial asset on the grass courts.

If Williams advances past Joint, she could face 29th seed Alexandra Eala of the Philippines next, with a potential third-round match against reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek. Swiatek will begin her title defense against American Taylor Townsend. Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic starts his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title against China’s Wu Yibing, while world number one Jannik Sinner, defending his Wimbledon title, will play against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.

Other notable matches

In other significant first-round matches in the women’s singles, top seed Aryna Sabalenka will play Teodora Kostovic, and fourth seed Jessica Pegula is set to face Darja Vidmanova. Fifth seed Mirra Andreeva will compete against Magda Linette, and seventh seed Coco Gauff will play Tamara Korpatsch. Second seed Elena Rybakina is matched against Lois Boisson.

For the men’s singles, Casper Ruud, the 11th seed, will face Hubert Hurkacz. Eighth seed Daniil Medvedev is drawn against Marin Cilic, and Roberto Bautista Agut will play 24th seed Joao Fonseca. Wildcard entry Stan Wawrinka is set to meet Matteo Berrettini, and second seed Alexander Zverev will play Alexander Blockx.

Carlos Alcaraz will not be participating in Wimbledon this year as he continues to recover from a wrist injury.

Source: bbc.co.uk

The post Wimbledon first round sees Serena Williams face Maya Joint, Jack Draper to play Taylor Fritz appeared first on NewsGB.