Queen returned, but faltered right away – Serena Williams stopped in the first round of Wimbledon

Four years later, Serena Williams picked up a racket once again and returned to Grand Slam tennis. The queen of the sport never officially announced her retirement, and nearly four years after her last singles match at the US Open, she stepped back onto the court. But after two pregnancies and now in her mid-40s, winning matches is no easy task.

That was evident on Centre Court, where the legendary American and 23-time Grand Slam champion fell to world No. 87 Maya Joint of Australia, 2-1 (6-3, 6-7, 6-3). Serena received a standing ovation on Wimbledon's show court, a clear sign of how much the seven-time champion at the Wimbledon Championships had been missed by the London crowd. However, she did not have enough left in the tank to reach the second round, with the second-set tiebreak proving to be the highlight of her comeback.

Still, Serena fulfilled a dream. When asked why she was returning to tennis at this stage of her life, the American explained that she wanted her daughters, Olympia and Adira, to see their mother playing on Centre Court.

That dream became a reality, although Serena could not hide her disappointment as she walked off the court. Above all else, she remains one of the greatest competitors in the history of sport, and athletes like that never take defeat lightly. Serena is also set to compete in the doubles event in London, and it remains to be seen whether she will also appear at the US Open later this summer.