Williams bows out, perhaps for the last time
Serena Williams began – and ended – her comeback at Wimbledon after 364 days out of singles competition looking very much like someone who hadn’t competed in just that long. She missed shots, shook her head, rolled her eyes.
In between, there were moments where Williams played very much like someone whose strokes and will have carried her to 23 grand slam titles. She hit blistering serves and strokes, celebrated with arms aloft.
Returning to the site of her last singles match, which she had to stop after less than a set because of an injury on June 29, 2021, Williams, 40, came within two points of victory. But she could not finish the job against an opponent making her Wimbledon debut and bowed out with a 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10-7) loss to 115th-ranked Harmony Tan, of France, yesterday.
‘‘It’s definitely better than last year,’’ Williams said. ‘‘That’s a start.’’
Asked whether this might have been her last match, Williams replied: ‘‘That’s a question I can’t answer. I don’t know. Who knows? Who knows where I’ll pop up?’’
But she said the thought of playing in the US Open later this year still motivates her.
‘‘When you’re at home, especially in New York, and the US
Open, that being the first place I’ve won a grand slam, is something that’s always super special. Your first time is always special.
‘‘There’s definitely lots of motivation to get better and to play at home,’’ Williams said.
With her older sister, Venus, jumping out of a guest box seat to celebrate the best points, Serena Williams was oh-so-close to pulling out a topsy-turvy match that lasted three hours, 11 minutes.
‘‘For my first Wimbledon, it’s: Wow. Just wow,’’ said the 24-yearold Tan, who recalled watching Williams on TV as a youngster.
‘‘When I saw the draw, I was really scared,’’ Tan said with a laugh, ‘‘because it’s Serena Williams. She’s a legend. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, how can I play?’’’
This is one indication of how things were at the get-go: Of Tan’s first 11 points, only one came via a winner she produced. Others came via errors by Williams.
While Williams recovered from dropping the opening two games to lead 4-2, she reversed course again and allowed Tan to quickly climb back into that set with her mix of spins and slices.
When Tan pulled even at 4-4 by striking a down-the-line backhand winner, she celebrated with a yell; that shot was so good that even Williams felt compelled to applaud.
Tan came into the day with a 2-6 career record at all grand slam tournaments. Clearly enjoying herself – and the setting, the moment, the way it all was going – she broke
to lead 6-5 with the help of a crosscourt forehand winner, looked at her guest box, raised a fist and waved her arms to ask for more noise from a crowd that was loudly backing Williams.
Soon enough, a forehand passing winner gave Tan that set. At that point, it seemed reasonable to ask: Could Tan pull off by far the biggest victory of her career? Might Williams exit a major in the first round for only the third time
in 80 appearances (the previous were a loss at the 2012 French Open and that mid-match retirement at Wimbledon last year)?
The latter is what happened, of course, although Williams played spectacularly in the second set.
In the third set, Williams was two points from advancing while serving for the match at 5-4 but couldn’t get closer.
Next for Tan is a second-round match against No 32 seed Sara
Sorribes Tormo, of Spain, who advanced by defeating American qualifier Christina McHale 6-2, 6-1.
Top seed Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 36 matches by beating Croatian qualifier Jana Fett 6-0 6-3. Others advancing in the women’s bracket included No 11 Coco Gauff, 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova and 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu.