"It was another match" - Maya Joint plays down Williams' victory with progress cut short at Wimbledon

Maya Joint was quick to move on from that notable victory over Serena Williams in the first round of Wimbledon. She was next tasked with a battle against fellow young talent in the form of Alexandra Eala. Despite a promising first set display, it all went wrong for Joint as she lost 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, thus ending her campaign at Wimbledon with a whimper.

Not wanting to be labelled as a 'one-hit wonder,' Joint was eager to prove that she was the real deal against a very tricky opponent with a serious motive. In the 2025 Eastbourne Open final, these two played out one of the matches of the year. It went to a third set tiebreak, in which Eala squandered four match points as Joint eventually sealed a second WTA title.

It looked to be going the same way after a fine set of tennis marked a return to form for Joint who took the first set and was hopeful of marching on. The winner would break new ground and reach the third round for the first time, and in Eala's case the first women from the Philippines to reach the last-32 in singles at Grand Slam level.

This was what occurred after a blistering comeback. Joint was hapless, creating just one break point for the rest of the match as Eala culminated proceedings with nine consecutive games in a blistering flurry. This abruptly ended Joint's competition at SW19 and left her back at square one.

While that Williams match was watched all around the world with high stakes placed upon it, Joint did not see that victory as a life-changing moment, just another win to add to the collection as she looked to make more progress in the Grand Slam event.

"No, I don't think so. It was another match," she said. "And while I'll always, always have great memories of it, and be able to say that I beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon on Centre Court, which is pretty cool, I think if I harp on that match too long, or I only think about that match, then that will probably be my only achievement. So I need to move on.

"I think it'll give me some confidence, for sure. I felt it when winning the first set today, when I was going after my shots and making a lot of them. I was carrying that confidence into this match as well, and it'll give me a lot of confidence into my next matches."

This campaign has not been a brilliant one by Joint's standards. Illness and injury has left her not picking up many wins with first round exits becoming the norm. In fact, her triumph against Williams was just a fourth singles win of 2026, a rare high moment in a season of constant setbacks.

Following her title at Eastbourne and the hype surrounding her name coming from a breakthrough campaign last year, this decline was not expected. The signs are still there that an incredible tennis player is within as Joint struggles to unlock it on a consistent basis.

"It felt nice to play like that again. I feel like that was kind of my level last year," she reflected following a positive start against Eala. "I think I'm getting closer, and the first set showed that I'm still here. The next step is just to sustain that level for longer."

Her efforts have been noted by other WTA talents watching Joint's progress from afar with anticipation and maybe some nerves when the day comes where she unleashes her full potential. One of them was Coco Gauff who, at the age of 22, is already one of the best player in the world. A two-time Grand Slam champion, it may be hard to think that she is only two years older than Joint.

"Maya played really great tennis, like top-10, top-five tennis," Gauff analysed. "Obviously she's a great player. I've never played her before, but she was close to top-20 before. She's a great competitor. She seems like an even, chill girl. I do think if anyone was ready for the moment, it would be her."

However, the maturity she showed against Williams on Centre Court in front of the entire tennis world was one to be marvelled at despite her inexperience in the sport. The way she handled it was praised by Eala who could not hide her respect for the Aussie.

"Maya's win over Serena was amazing. She played really well and handled herself really well in that situation," she said. Eala will take on the reigning champion Iga Swiatek in the third round with Joint looking on to the next tournament.