Serena Williams’ return to Wimbledon concluded in the opening round on Tuesday, as she was defeated by Australia’s Maya Joint in a three-set battle, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2.
The living legend forced a deciding set in her first Grand Slam singles match in nearly four years, yet she couldn’t pull off the upset.
With Williams’ heartbreaking defeat looming over the crowd, the last player to defeat her at Wimbledon seized the opportunity to revive a long-standing clash.
Harmony Tan chose the exact day Williams, at 44 years old, stepped back onto Centre Court to air a grievance about their 2022 encounter.
Their histories run deep.
Tan had upset Williams in the opening round of the 2022 Championships, taking the match 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7) after more than three hours of play.
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That 2022 result became a defining moment in Tan’s career. She reached the fourth round that year before losing to Amanda Anisimova and hasn’t replicated that deep run since.
This season, Tan failed to qualify, losing to Tyra Caterina Grant in the third round of the qualifiers, which ended any chance of a rematch with Williams in the main draw.
During the qualifying rounds, Tan spoke with a glimmer of hope about facing Williams again.
“She’s a legend. She can come back anywhere. I hope I can qualify and perhaps meet Serena in the first round,” the 28-year-old told tennis reporter Neil McLeman last week.
Fans were skeptical of the sudden shade, and questions quickly followed.
If you care, the last woman to beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon, Harmony Tan, is over on her instagram story saying that she was blocked by the 23 time major champion after their match 4 years ago. pic.twitter.com/2DggdEfolj
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) June 30, 2026
Another asked, “Why did Serena Williams block Harmony Tan after that handshake? What’s wrong with their handshake?”
“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? OMG!” remarked one observer.
If you care, the last woman to beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon, Harmony Tan, is over on her instagram story saying that she was blocked by the 23 time major champion after their match 4 years ago. pic.twitter.com/2DggdEfolj
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) June 30, 2026
Another pondered, “Why would Serena Williams block Harmony after that handshake? What did the handshake do wrong?”
More pointedly, someone suggested, “Perhaps she simply didn’t want to see Harmony’s posts in her feed because the defeat stung that badly.”
what if she just didn’t want to see harmony’s posts on her feed because the loss hurt that much
— ̶S̶c̶r̶u̶b̶ Silent Sleeper (@UnluckyLoser18) June 30, 2026
Another kept it blunt: “That’s exactly why she blocked her. Entitled.”
Some pointed to precedent: “She did the same to Sloane back in 2013 as well.”
That reference was to Sloane Stephens, who was 19 when she upset Williams in the quarterfinals at the 2013 Australian Open.
Stephens later claimed Williams unfollowed her on Twitter, removed her from BlackBerry Messenger, and stopped speaking to her in the locker room, according to the St. Louis American.
Williams also posted a tweet that read, “I made you,” which Stephens took personally. The two eventually reconciled. Stephens later joked that she became the “queen of blocking” herself, dealing with backlash from Williams’ fan base.
Cutting off rivals after tough losses seems to be a pattern, not a one-off.
Responses to Tan racked up quickly.
“This Harmony girl is irritating. What is she trying to prove by this? It must be exhausting watching your opponent celebrate their win, and social media only amplifies it. So she should delete if it helps her mental health,” one commenter wrote.
Another compared her to a different player, noting, “She never blocked Osaki, and she thwarted her twice at #24—that says more about Tan.”
One comment bluntly stated, “She’s relevant because of Serena.”
Tan isn’t the only figure Williams has been blocking lately. As a paid face for Ro, she isn’t preoccupied with old rivals; she’s making room for a different kind of stance.
Earlier in the year, critics questioned whether she had shed her iconic curves after shedding a substantial amount of weight.
A May video quieted much of that chatter, as observers noticed her toned frame in a leopard-print maxi dress.
Williams has been candid about her weight loss after giving birth to her second daughter, Adira.
That period marked her decision to begin GLP-1 treatments. Diet and training alone hadn’t delivered the results she wanted.
“No matter what I did, no matter how much I trained, I couldn’t reach the weight I needed,” she told People last August.
After shedding 31 pounds, the mother of two said her energy and mobility improved dramatically.
Her Tuesday return came with a mix of outcomes.
Facing 20-year-old Maya Joint on Centre Court, Williams was defeated 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-3 after two hours and 22 minutes. Nevertheless, the crowd rose to applaud her efforts with a standing ovation.
Her Wimbledon chapter isn’t over. She will team with her sister Venus in the women’s doubles starting July 2, pursuing one more installment in a storied, rivalry-filled, record-setting legacy that stubbornly refuses to fade away.
And now, we’ll watch closely to see which opponent ultimately blocks Williams next in the pantheon of the greatest female tennis players of all time.
