John McEnroe appeared to be irritated by a question from BBC commentator Nick Mullins following Serena Williams' first-round Wimbledon exit. Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion and seven-time Wimbledon winner, returned to SW19 after accepting wildcards from the All England Club. The 44-year-old mother of two showed flashes of her former brilliance but ultimately lost 3-6 7-6 3-6 to Australia's Maya Joint, 20.
McEnroe's Frustrated Response
After Williams left Centre Court to a standing ovation, Mullins asked McEnroe: 'Do you think this is it? She will be 45 if she’s here again in a year’s time. What do you reckon John?' McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon champion, retorted: 'You think I know? Don’t ask me a question that’s unanswerable.' Mullins then turned to fellow American tennis great Tracy Austin, noting he was receiving 'looks' from McEnroe. Mullins said: 'Well I don’t know… what do you think, Tracy? You’ve known her since she was very, very young. Will there still be fight in her to come back at the age of 45 and give it another go? We’re just speculating, John, don’t look at me like that. It’s what we do, it’s our job.'
Austin's Call for Celebration
McEnroe interjected: 'I wouldn’t have thought she would have come back in the first place but you go ahead, Tracy.' Austin appeared reluctant to speculate on Williams' future, saying: 'She’s 44 and she won seven majors before Maya Joint was even born. It was incredible for her to put herself out there again. I think we need to celebrate Maya Joint now and celebrate Serena Williams coming back at 44.'
McEnroe's Pre-Match Comments
Before Williams' comeback, McEnroe dismissed claims she was taking a risk. 'I don’t think there’s much of a risk for Serena. We already think she’s the GOAT and one of the greatest athletes – male or female – in the history of any sport. The fact she’s decided to do this – there’s a little bit of, why? You assume it’s a love of the game, maybe she misses the competition. But then also, what is she expecting from this? She didn’t come here to lose first or second round, did she?'
Williams' Statement and Doubles Plans
Williams opted out of media duties after her singles defeat but issued a brief statement: 'It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.' She will team up with her sister Venus, 45, for Wimbledon doubles on Thursday against Argentina's Solana Sierra and Colombia's Camila Osorio.
Joint's Victory and Next Match
Joint, who ended an 11-game losing streak, will face Alexandra Eala in the second round. 'I didn’t get much sleep last night, I was up until 2am just thinking about it. Walking out, I forgot the warm-up, my legs weren’t moving. I really don’t know what to say right now. I don’t know what just happened. This court has had so many huge names that have played on it. She has so much aura, she is such a legend. I have been dreaming about this since I was a little kid, so this is pretty crazy,' Joint said in her on-court interview.
