"I thought he was pranking me because he said, 'Oh, you're playing Serena Williams'" - Maya Joint in disbelief after being drawn against Williams at Wimbledon

Maya Joint thought that she had missed her chance to compete on court with Serena Williams following the 23-time Grand Slam retiring back in 2022. However, the 20-year-old will be stepping onto the court against her at Wimbledon in a highly intriguing matchup.

It is Joint's second time at the Championships following a first round defeat last year. There was much intrigue around the young Aussie following her dramatic Eastbourne Open title triumph against Alexandra Eala. Surviving four match points, Joint eventually got over the line in a third-set tiebreak.

She has not been able to keep up that upward trajectory in which her potential on court seemed to be heading. Early exits are becoming a thing of the norm now with injuries also hampering her progress in what has been a frustrating 2026.

Nevertheless, her year will take a turn for the better as she competes against one of the greatest female tennis players to grace the court at Wimbledon, possibly on Centre Court in a highly anticipated match.

Speaking to Tennis Australia, Joint was stunned at the prospect of facing Williams after believing her chance had flown by. "I was surprised. I don't know... I was excited. I never thought I'd get to play against her," she admitted.

"She stopped playing around the time I was kind of coming onto the tour. When I saw that she got the wild card, I think there was a small part of me that always wanted to experience playing her. If someone had told me ten years ago that I'd be playing at Wimbledon, first round, against Serena Williams, I would have thought that was ridiculous."

She was asked how the news was broken to her. "We were watching the draw ceremony in the car, but then I was getting too nervous, so we turned it off. I was sitting with my coach and I thought he was pranking me because he said, 'Oh, you're playing Serena Williams.' I was like, 'Nah, you're messing with me.' Then Sam Stosur messaged me and said, 'You're playing Serena Williams.'"

While it is set to be a special moment for Joint, she knows that there is a task to be completed on court and she would not let the prestige of her opponent or the occasion get in the way at the third Grand Slam of 2026. "I think I just have to play the ball that's coming at me," she said. "Not really think about who's on the other end or the number of tournaments she's won. Just play the ball that's coming at me.

"I think it's a pinch-me moment. I'll be excited to see what court we're playing on, but I'm just so excited that this is happening."

All the eyes will be on Williams as she returns to SW19 for the first time since 2021 when she lost in the first round. A seven-time champion, her last title came back in 2016 before a brace of final defeats in 2018 and 2019 were great accomplishments, but not what she was looking for.

Now, Williams returns with the hope of rolling back the years and going on a deep run at Wimbledon. Maya Joint will be a tough prospect for her to face off against. While not in form, Joint can get to a very high level on court and can muster up a lot of power behind her shots.

It is Williams first singles match back, and beforehand only two doubles matches have been completed. While there is no doubting her quality and class on court, there are some question marks surrounding how she will fare.

If she can take down Joint, then a possible clash against another young talent Alexandra Eala or Renata Zarazua will be the American's next task.

A hugely intriguing prospect lays in the third round with reigning champion Iga Swiatek in that same part of the draw. This would on paper be one of the draws of the tournament if it was to happen, but there is a lot more tennis to be played before even considering that event to occur.