- Seven-time champion beaten in first round
- Williams played her first singles match for a year
There are few things in this world that Serena Williams has enjoyed more than a comeback throughout her career. She underwent knee surgery in 2003, yet within a year of her return she was a grand slam champion again. After arriving at the 2007 Australian Open ranked 81st, she left with the title. She nearly died from a pulmonary embolism in 2011, but she toiled back to enjoy her greatest years. In 2017, Williams survived a life-threatening childbirth, yet she recovered to reach four grand slam finals.
Over the course of her 27 years as a professional tennis player, Williams has seen generations rise and fall, with most of her contemporaries over a decade into retirement. But time comes for us all, and in a torrid evening on Centre Court showed the challenge before her in the final chapter of her career.
