Sad fallout to Serena Williams' defeat to Aussie at Wimbledon after calls for $72K fine scrapped

Calls for Serena Williams to be fined for skipping her media duties at Wimbledon have been shut down after it emerged the tennis icon suffered a knee injury. Maya Joint was the talk of Wimbledon after ending Williams’ comeback from retirement in the first round round 6-3 6-7 6-3 on Centre Court.

Cheered on by Sam Stosur, who famously beat Serena in the US Open final in 2011, Joint raised her arms in the air after match point after the biggest scalp of her young career. Williams quickly left Centre Court, after the handshake at the net, waving to the crowd to a standing ovation.

Although there was frustration from the tennis community when Williams skipped the mandatory post-match press conference. The match ended close to 11pm in London, but players are expected to address the media even after a loss.

Fans felt the 44-year-old should have fronted the media even though her comeback at Wimbledon after four years only lasted one match. Players can be fined $72,000 for skipping their media obligations.

Although it appears Williams was given a reason to skip the press conference because of a knee injury she sustained in the first set. Williams eventually took to social media to congratulate Joint and reveal her knee trouble ahead of a potential reunion with sister Venus.

“I’m incredibly thankful for the wild card – and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it’s never too late to chase something you love,” she wrote after the defeat to joint. “I tweaked my knee late in the first set, but I’ll be doing everything I can to be ready for doubles with Venus. Congratulations to Maya Joint on a great match, and thank you to everyone who showed up and showed me so much love. That feeling will never get old.”

The injury is a sad setback for Williams who was looking to line-up with sister Venus in the doubles draw. The Williams sisters taking to the court together at Wimbledon would have been a huge drawcard at the grand slam and for viewers. Wimbledon will not fine Williams considering players who sustain an injury or illness during competition are given reasonable grounds to skip post-match press conferences.

Maya Joint joins Aussies in Wimbledon Round 2

Joint was left stunned after the match having taken down the 44-year-old legend in front of a roaring crowd. The 20-year-old Aussie now joins Kim Birrell in the second round. Daria Kasatkina has already advanced to third round where she will play Noami Osaka in a blockbuster showdown.

Birrell will play Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the next round, while Joint faces No.29 seed Alexandra Eala in a clash of the young stars.

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