Wimbledon 2026: Why Did Serena Williams Exit In the First Round? Coach Rennae Stubbs Reveals Untold Story

New Delhi, July 5: 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams had a torrid start to her sojourn to the tennis court. The 44-year-old exited the grand stage early on after a first-round defeat. However, longtime coach Rennae Stubbs believes the 23-time Grand Slam champion showed she still can compete at the highest level.

Speaking to the global news agency, The Associated Press, Stubbs revealed she began working with Williams again in March and immediately noticed that the American had not lost her trademark timing and power despite nearly four years away from singles competition.

“I saw that from the moment I stepped back on court with her. I was like, ‘Well, you never lost that,'” Stubbs said. “And then it’s just getting the movement going and getting the body going and all that sort of stuff again.”

Williams, 44, was beaten 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 by Australia’s 20-year-old Maya Joint in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. Despite the loss, Stubbs felt the American gradually overcame her nerves during the contest.

“I noticed in the middle of the second set her take a big sort of deep breath and I actually turned around to Venus and said, ‘Oh I think she just relaxed,'” Stubbs recalled.

According to Stubbs, the response from fellow players and coaches inside the locker room was overwhelmingly supportive, with many appreciating the challenge Williams faced after such a lengthy absence.

“They know what it would be like to be in that position of not playing a match for close to four years, going on Centre Court at Wimbledon, knowing there’s how many millions of people around the world watching this match,” Stubbs said.

Williams later withdrew from her scheduled doubles match alongside sister Venus after suffering a right knee injury during her singles contest. On Instagram, she shared images showing fluid drained from her knee and explained that despite her efforts, she was unable to recover in time.

“The good news is my knee shouldn’t swell or collect that much fluid again,” Williams wrote. “The bad news is that, as hard as I tried, I just wasn’t able to get it ready for doubles.”

However, Williams hinted that her comeback is far from over, telling fans, “All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you.” Stubbs also praised Williams for maintaining her composure throughout the emotionally charged return, admitting she had been concerned about how the former world No. 1 would handle the pressure.

“I don’t think people even remotely can quantify the amount of pressure that was on her to walk out there and do what she did,” Stubbs said. She also criticized the negative reaction Williams received on social media following the defeat and her withdrawal from doubles.

“I just don’t understand why people feel the need to tear somebody down,” Stubbs said. “What she’s doing out there is trying to play a sport she loves… What is wrong with a seven-time Wimbledon champion, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, wanting to play another time at Wimbledon? God let her.”

Stubbs added that Williams had originally hoped to play more matches before Wimbledon but was hampered by circumstances, including injuries to her doubles partners. She believes additional match practice would have further sharpened the Americans’ movement and confidence.

“When you’re great, you’re great. When you have great timing, you always have great timing,” Stubbs said. “What I saw out there didn’t surprise me at all, because I had been seeing it for months: the capacity to hit the ball as well as she’s always hit the ball.”