By Pritha Sarkar LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) - Serena Williams showed flashes of brilliance before her much anticipated return to competitive action after a four-year absence fizzled out in a 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 defeat to little-known Australian Maya Joint in the Wimbledon first round.

Novak Djokovic knows just what it means to have to live up to lofty expectations after years of titles and trophies.

Serena Williams returned to tennis tournament play for the first time since 2022.

The 2026 Wimbledon Championships continue as Serena Williams plays her first singles match in nearly four years. Tennis icon Williams, 44, makes an unexpected return to tennis as she faces Maya Joint on Centre Court later.

Tsitsipas, the former world No 3, was a shadow of his former self as Djokovic painfully revealed how far the Greek has fallen with a masterful straight-sets victory on Centre Court

Novak Djokovic has proposed that shortening the duration of tennis matches could draw younger audiences with briefer attention spans to the sport. The 24-time Grand Slam winner discussed tennis' future extensively following his straight-sets second-round victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon.