Serena Williams comeback: What's next for 23-time Grand Slam champion after Wimbledon singles defeat - will she play US Open?

Serena Williams rolled back the years as she treated the lucky ticket holders on Centre Court and the millions more watching on TV to a night of pure drama at Wimbledon in her comeback match on Tuesday evening.

The 44-year-old eventually ran out of gas against 20-year-old Maya Joint but only after she gave a glimpse of what everyone has been missing over the last four years.

But what comes next for the 23-time Grand Slam champion who stunned the world of tennis when she announced her return last month?

How did Serena fare on singles return?

The seven-time Wimbledon champion showed flashes of her brilliant best against Joint and demonstrated she hasn't lost any of the fighting competitive spirit despite not playing a competitive singles match since the US Open in 2022.

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Williams saved a match point and unleashed a 122mph first serve to earn a set point in a dramatic second set tie-break against Joint, leaving Centre Court gasping in delight. She forced the match into an intriguing deciding set and even broke serve early in the third, raising hopes of a fairytale comeback. However, she ultimately ran out of steam as Joint regained control and secured the victory.

Lack of mobility on the grass was always going to be an issue given her lack of court time, having only played in two doubles matches at Queen's and in Berlin last month.

Yet she showed she maintains the power on her groundstroke to still punish opponents on her day.

'It was like being on the set of a movie'

Sky Sports' Jonathan Overend was hugely impressed with Serena's performance:

"I think it was much better than a lot of people expected. Now, is it the sort of level to win Wimbledon again like in her pomp? No, there were limitations. But I suppose it depends on your perspective. If you're just grateful to have the chance to see one of the all-time greats of sport in the flesh again, remarkably have a comeback in her mid-40s, then it was an absolute treat and a pleasure and an enjoyable experience.

"If you come at it with a cynical edge and say, right, well, where's the Serena of old? What's she doing here again? Then you're going to be disappointed.

"So I was very much glass half full. It was amazing to see her in Centre Court again. I mean, it was quite a surreal experience like you were on the set of a movie. Like we were all there, 15,000 extras for the Serena Williams movie. It did have that feel about it.

"But then as the match developed, it was competitive. And there was a lot of the Serena of old on display."

Is Wimbledon done and dusted for Serena?

Serena had planned to team up with sister Venus in the doubles later this week, a partnership that yielded six titles between 2000 and 2016.

However, on Wednesday afternoon, Serena confirmed that she is an injury doubt after suffering a knee injury against Joint.

"It felt so good to be back on the grass at Wimbledon. I'm incredibly thankful for the wild card - and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it's never too late to chase something you love.

"I tweaked my knee late in the first set, but I'll be doing everything I can to be ready for doubles with Venus Williams."

Will she play the US Open or any of the American swing?

Serena opted not to do a post-match press conference following her near two-and-a-half hour contest which finished around 10pm on Tuesday evening. Instead she issued a very brief 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."

It was thought Williams might have opened up on her plans for what comes next with the hard court season around the corner and the US Open next month where she has won six of her 23 majors.

Wimbledon gave her until the 11th hour to make a decision on whether to accept a singles wild card at this year's Championship. And it is widely expected that the US Open will welcome the American with open arms should she want to continue her singles comeback.

But she will likely need more match time between now and then and could look to enter one of the two Masters 1000 events in the lead up to Flushing Meadows with the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open taking place in the build up to the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports from Sunday August 23 to Sunday September 13.

Williams could instead opt to sit out singles and take part in the star-studded mixed doubles event in the lead up to the main event at Flushing Meadows which made its debut last year.

Last year's event saw Emma Raducanu team up with Carlos Alcaraz while Jack Draper paired with Jessica Pegula.

The shorter set format and event being played over two days could be the perfect fit for Serena as she continues to build her fitness.

Sky Sports' Jonathan Overend believes Serena will appear at US Open tune-up events. He said: "I mean, she can talk about playing in front of her daughters, which must have been a very rewarding experience for them to see her play at that sort of level on the stage on which she's won so much.

"She also talked about being an inspiration to others and anything's possible, and I get that. But you're not busting a gut on the training court back in the USA just for a couple of hours out at Wimbledon, I don't think.

"There has to be more to it. So we're now going into, or she'll go into, the American Hardcourt season, which of course involves the US Open, which has the mixed doubles now. This very rich mixed doubles tournament in the week before the tournament starts.

"I hope she doesn't just rock up just for the US Open, because if she does, that would in a way fuel the argument that she's just in it for the biggest events. Could she play Cincinnati? Absolutely she could."

Could she return to the tour full time?

It was telling what she said in her very brief statement after her defeat saying how she had "missed" tennis.

Williams clearly maintains a deep love for the sport despite her four years away. Andy Murray spoke last month of how he "doesn't miss tennis at all" and has embraced his newfound freedom and new explorations after putting his body on the line to reach the top of the game.

But could Williams' body stand up to the rigours of tournaments and travel week-in, week-out?

Towards the end of her career she was only competing at the majors and selected other big events as she was able to maintain her fitness and level between tournaments.

Will she also have the drive and determination to keep playing all year round or will the novelty wear off?

One of the driving forces behind her return was for her two daughters, Olympia and Adira, to see her play on the biggest stage again.

"It's really about the kids seeing me play," she said. "Olympia is a little bit older, Adira is very young. It's components like that.

"It's also, an athlete is the best thing you can be, in the highest place and having an opportunity to still be able to possibly do that one last time is kind of cool and exciting. And so there is a little bit of that too."

If not tennis, what next?

In the four years she spent away from the court, Serena was hardly sitting back and cleaning her array of various trophies.

In that time, she has become a successful businesswoman, had her second daughter (Adira was born in 2023) and even made a cameo appearance during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl half-time show last year.

The thing when it comes to Serena, is you never know what to expect next.

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Serena Williams comeback: What's next for 23-time Grand Slam champion after Wimbledon singles defeat - will she play US Open?