Serena Williams returns to Wimbledon singles after four years as Sinner survives five-set opener

Serena's long-awaited return

The 44-year-old Williams accepted a wild card into the women's draw and will play 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the third match on Centre Court on Tuesday. The All England Club held the eighth and final wild card until Williams confirmed her entry at the last moment, the weekend before qualifying began. Club chief executive Sally Bolton told the Associated Press that organisers were "quietly keeping our fingers crossed".

She is such an icon of the sport and particularly here at the championship she's one of our most special champions. So it really will be the ticket to have tomorrow when she walks back on Centre Court.

The queue for daily tickets reached 10,000 people by Monday morning, prompting the club to advise fans not to travel. Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, has not played a Grand Slam singles match since losing in the third round of the 2022 US Open. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, she said her expectations are "definitely different for the first time in my career" and that she is preparing to enjoy being out on court. Joint has lost 15 of her 18 WTA Tour matches this year and has dropped to 87th in the rankings.

Sinner escapes opening round

Men's defending champion Jannik Sinner was pushed to five sets by Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic before winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 in three hours and 30 minutes. The world number one lost the opening set, grimaced after a fall in the third set, and later played with blood visible through his right shoe, but rallied to avoid joining the small group of men's champions beaten in the first round. It was Sinner's first competitive match on grass this season and the 94th Grand Slam win of his career, drawing him level with Nicola Pietrangeli for the Italian record. Sinner had lost eight of his previous nine five-set matches, including five straight.

It seems much worse than it is. I'm actually surprised that they let me keep playing because my all white outfit turned into a little red.

Elsewhere, Stefanos Tsitsipas, ranked 87th, said he is rediscovering the mindset that once fuelled his deep Grand Slam runs after beating Hugo Gaston 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Eleventh seed Casper Ruud fell to Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(7), and 12th seed Andrey Rublev lost a five-set battle against Roman Safiullin, 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(14-12).

Home hopes dashed

British interest in the singles was dealt a series of blows. Emma Raducanu withdrew on the eve of the tournament with a leg injury and Jack Draper announced on Monday he was pulling out with an arm injury. Six other home players lost their matches on day one, including British number one Cameron Norrie, the 26th seed, who was beaten in five sets by American qualifier Michael Zheng, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(10-4). Zheng, ranked 144, recorded his first Grand Slam win.

What comes next

Beyond the Williams-Joint clash, Tuesday's schedule features Iga Swiatek beginning her title defence against Taylor Townsend and French Open champion Alexander Zverev taking to the grass. With Serena's seven Wimbledon titles won across a decade when eight different women have since lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish, the return of the 23-time Grand Slam winner has already electrified the All England Club.