Serena Williams’s return to the court at Wimbledon was halted by Harmony Tan, who defeated the American in three sets in the first round of the competition. Sports Illustrated staffers Jon Wertheim and Chris Almeida discuss the match and what it means for Williams in the twilight of her career.
Chris Almeida: So we are here on the second day of The Championships late at night in England and not so late at night here in Chicago. Serena Williams is out of the tournament after playing her first singles match in a little over a year. She lost to the 24-year-old Frenchwoman, Harmony Tan, 7–5, 1–6, 7–6. It was a long match—it lasted over three hours. There were a lot of tentative rallies. Tan looked like a player outside of the top 100 trying to beat Serena Williams. Serena looked like somebody who had taken a year off.
Jon Wertheim: I think that's right. And I think she looked more like that than she looked like a 40-year-old. I think this was less about age than it was about just taking a gap year.
