Serena Williams made her long-awaited comeback to singles competition at Wimbledon on Tuesday but her youngest daughter was unable to watch
Serena Williams’ youngest daughter was not allowed to watch the Wimbledon legend’s highly anticipated return on Tuesday due to a strict rule. The 44-year-old put on a brave show on Centre Court but was unable to rewind the clock as she fell to a three-set defeat against Australian Maya Joint.
As many fans might have hoped to see the Serena of old pick up where she left off, her age certainly became a factor in the war of attrition. Her family was in her box throughout, doing their best to cheer her on, though her youngest child was made to leave before the match started.
Adira River, two, was not allowed to stay in Williams’ box for the match as the All England Club maintains a strict age policy demanding children be at least five years old to watch a match. Consequently, Adira was obliged to depart before play began, while Olympia, eight, was able to remain and took her place beside their father, Alexis Ohanian.
Wimbledon’s age regulations also affected two-time former champion Andy Murray during his final appearance at the tournament in 2024. The Scot has four children with his wife, Kim, but only their two eldest daughters were allowed to sit in his box when the former world No. 1 teamed up with his brother, Jamie, in doubles two years ago.
Williams last contested a singles match against Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open. That was widely regarded as the final competitive appearance of her career when Adira had not yet been born, but she ended her hiatus in a hard-fought loss to Joint.
Her children have played a crucial role in their mother’s return and were also in attendance at Queen’s when she made her comeback in doubles alongside Victoria Mboko.
Both were allowed to observe from her box that day, and Olympia has been seen on the practice court with the former world No. 1 on numerous occasions, retrieving balls and offering assistance.
Unsurprisingly, the American tennis legend still drew tremendous support. Under the Centre Court roof, the atmosphere was absolutely buzzing, with supporters cheering and whooping throughout her performance.
It came to a head in a lengthy second set when she edged a tiebreaker to level the score.
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Centre Court roared on the icon through all her wins and losses. And there were plenty of the latter, marked by numerous shots pushed too long or misjudged when Joint had left gaping spaces to be exploited.
Her family were among the most vocal supporters, of course. That included eight-year-old Olympia, who, unlike her sister, was permitted to stay and watch for the duration.
It wasn’t to be in the end, however, as Williams bowed out on the back of a 3-6, 7-6(6), 3-6 defeat. Her Wimbledon journey isn’t over, though, as she plans to team up with Mboko in the women’s doubles competition.