Serena Williams skips press conference after Wimbledon loss

Serena Williams left everything on Centre Court in her first-round loss to Maya Joint at Wimbledon on Tuesday — so much so that it was relayed afterward that she would “not be able to undertake media,” per Ben Rothenberg.

Thus, Williams, 44, skipped her post-match press conference and replaced it with the following written statement: “It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”

As Vogue’s September 2022 cover star, Williams said she was “evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,” but specified that she had “never liked the word retirement.”

Still, as she admitted two days ago, she “never thought I’d come back” to professional tennis when she walked away after the 2022 US Open.

Williams officially made her return to professional tennis by competing in doubles at the HSBC Championships and Berlin Tennis Open earlier in June. Her match against Joint was her first time playing singles since the 2022 US Open. Despite the loss, and despite a four-year absence, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion proved she still has brilliance within her.

Williams will have another chance to make her mark at Wimbledon when she and Venus Williams, 46, compete in doubles together. The iconic Williams sisters’ opening-round match will be against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra on Thursday, July 2.

Watch highlights from Williams’ Wimbledon return below.