Coco Gauff shares her thoughts on Serena Williams as the tennis legend skips a $50,000 fine at Wimbledon.
Coco Gauff recently shared her thoughts after Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, lost to Australia’s Maya Joint in her first singles match in four years at Wimbledon.
Williams, who is now 44, came out of retirement last month to play doubles at Queen’s. She was expected to only play doubles at Wimbledon with her sister Venus but surprisingly accepted a wildcard to compete in singles too.
In the first round, Williams faced world number 87 Maya Joint, who had struggled recently, losing 12 of her last 13 matches before Wimbledon. Their match lasted two hours and 22 minutes, with Joint winning 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.
After the match, Williams skipped the usual media interviews, sharing a short statement through the tournament instead. Her agent later explained that she had “tweaked her knee at the end of the first set,” which excused her from the media duties and avoided a possible $50,000 fine.
Later, Williams posted on Instagram saying she was very thankful for the chance to play at Wimbledon again. She mentioned the knee tweak but said she was working hard to be ready for doubles with Venus. She also congratulated Maya and thanked everyone for their support, saying the feeling of playing at Wimbledon “will never get old.”
Coco Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam winner herself, won a tough second-round match against Argentina’s Solana Sierra on Wednesday, needing a tiebreak to progress to round three. Gauff, who famously beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019, praised Serena and Maya Joint in her post-match interview.
“I thought Serena played amazing, especially after being away for four years. It shows why she’s the GOAT,” Gauff said. “Maya was playing like a top 10 or top 5 player. She’s clearly a great competitor and seemed calm on court. If anyone was ready for this moment, it was her.”
Gauff added, “Serena’s level was just crazy. Her serve is unbelievable, and she plays like she’s 10 years younger. It was great for tennis to see that match. And congrats to Maya for stepping up.”
Coco Gauff will play American qualifier Claire Liu on Friday, while Serena Williams plans to focus on doubles—if her injury allows.