Australian youngster Maya Joint says she is embracing the biggest challenge of her career as she prepares to face Serena Williams in the opening round of Wimbledon 2026.
The 20-year-old, who represents Australia, was handed one of the toughest possible draws after being paired with the seven-time Wimbledon champion, whose highly anticipated singles comeback has become one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
Small Cheering Section, Massive Occasion
Despite the magnitude of the occasion, Joint expects only a small support group in London.
She revealed that her entourage will likely consist of:
- Her coach
- Fitness trainer
- Agent
- Her mother
That means she’ll have to contend with what is expected to be a packed Centre Court crowd overwhelmingly backing Williams.
“I’m Expecting Big Serves And Big Forehands”
Joint knows exactly what kind of challenge awaits against one of the greatest players in tennis history.
“I’m expecting big serves and big forehands.”
She also predicted shorter rallies because of Williams’ power.
“I’ll have to be really ready for the first couple of games, try and get a good start to maybe catch her off guard a little bit.”
Facing Her Childhood Idol
Williams had already completed a career Grand Slam and won seven Wimbledon titles before Joint was even born in 2006.
The Australian admitted the opportunity is special.
“I have so much respect for her. She was one of my idols growing up. I’m just really excited to have the opportunity to play against her.”
Looking For A Grand Slam Breakthrough
Joint arrives at Wimbledon with a Grand Slam singles record of two wins and seven defeats.
Both victories came at the 2024 US Open, where she defeated Laura Siegemund before losing to Madison Keys on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
She believes that experience will help prepare her for the atmosphere she’ll encounter against Williams.
“When I saw that she got a wild card to get back into singles, there was always a part of me wanted to experience playing against her.”
Difficult 2026 Season
Currently ranked World No. 53, Joint has endured a challenging campaign.
At one stage this year, she lost 10 consecutive matches before ending the streak with a first-round victory at a WTA 125 clay-court event in Croatia.
Despite the difficult run, she believes she can cause an upset.
“Any match is winnable.”
“Serena is still an amazing player, so I’m sure it’s going to be a difficult match but I also think that I have a chance to win.”
Advice From The Last Woman To Beat Serena
One player who knows exactly what it takes to beat Williams on a major stage is fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, who defeated Serena in the third round of the 2022 US Open in what was believed to be Williams’ farewell match at the time.
Tomljanovic backed Joint to embrace the occasion.
“Maya can go into it really feeling like she’s got nothing to lose and so much to gain.”
She also believes the youngster has every reason to believe she can win if she plays her natural game.
Interestingly, Joint admitted she did not specifically seek tactical advice from Tomljanovic before the draw.
Instead, the experienced Australian simply reminded her:
“That I can beat anyone.”
“Anything Can Happen”
Asked who should be considered the favourite given Williams has been away from singles competition for almost four years, Joint refused to speculate.
“Tennis is a crazy sport, anything can happen.”
She added:
“It just depends who’s better on that day, so we’ll see Tuesday.”
With the tennis world expected to rally behind Serena Williams’ return, Joint hopes she might win over a few supporters of her own.
“Maybe I can win a couple of people over.”