Novak Djokovic tells Serena Williams critics to 'cool off' with their 'judgement' after Wimbledon comeback - 'I don't understand this thinking'
Updated 02/07/2026 at 12:46 GMT+1
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Novak Djokovic has told Serena Williams' critics to "cool off" with their "judgement" after her Wimbledon singles comeback ended in a first-round 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 defeat to Maya Joint on Centre Court on Tuesday.
Highlights: Williams returns to Wimbledon as Swiatek starts title defence
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Williams played her first singles match since the 2022 US Open at Wimbledon, but she ultimately fell to a hard-fought loss to Joint.
The 44-year-old looked set to link up with her sister, Venus Williams, to compete in the women’s doubles on Friday, but hopes of another outing in south-west London were thrown into doubt after her agent confirmed that she had tweaked her right knee.
Djokovic would like to see more of the tennis legend, suggesting that the US Open in August could be on her bucket list.
"I hope for the sake of tennis and all of us that we be able to see her more," the 24-time Grand Slam champion said, speaking after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday.
"Let's see. Nobody really knows what's going to happen, whether she's eager to play on Grand Slams, maybe. "I assume that the US Open is somewhere where she would like to play.
"I mean, playing in her home slam would be amazing for her and for everyone else."
Djokovic also launched into a defence of the returning star, urging anyone criticising Williams to "just enjoy her greatness."
He said: "Some great champions, people always expect you to play at your best because they're used to seeing you dominate the sport for many years.
"She's 44. I mean, she has two children. Coming back, it's normal that she still is not at her best in terms of movement. She hasn't played a match in so many years.
"People need to cool off a little bit with judgement and criticism and everything. Let's just enjoy the greatness, who she is, what she represents to the sport. Her wanting to give it a try and just come back is an incredible gift for our sport.
"I think people sometimes, I don't know why they don't appreciate that enough. They just start to speculate, judge or whatever. It's like, 'Hey, guys, enjoy'. You have the greatest ever to come play for you, to bring more attention to your sport.
"For me, I don't understand this kind of thinking and this kind of approach by people and judgement. But people are people. This is something they're going to do. I really support Serena. Always have. Hopefully she's going to play more."
The Williams sisters are scheduled to go head-to-head with Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio on Friday in the women's doubles, but only if Williams recovers in time.
For Djokovic, he is hoping to win a historic 25th Grand Slam at Wimbledon this year.
The tennis legend has lifted the iconic trophy on seven occasions, with his last triumph coming in 2022.
He defeated Tsitsipas 6-3 6-4 6-2 in the second round to take one step closer to the landmark achievement.
The victory set up a clash with Arthur Rinderknech in the third round on Friday.
Djokovic believes that Williams would also have wanted to go deep into the tournament, despite only just returning from retirement.
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Video credit: SNTV
"Look, I said it even before the tournament started that what she's doing is incredible, epic," he said. "I've always been a fan of Serena.
"I'm sure she wanted and expected to at least win one match or more. Knowing how competitive she is, the mind of a champion that she has, she's not happy with just showing up on the court.
"She wants to win."
When could Williams return?
The tennis world will be hoping that Williams is fit enough to compete in the women's doubles on Friday.
However, if she is not, it may not be the last time we see her compete at the highest level.
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When Wimbledon concludes, the countdown to the US Open will be on, and there will be plenty of opportunities for her to get back in the swing of things on hard courts before then.
The Athens Open and the Prague Open look unlikely, but there will be five hard-court WTA tournaments in Canada, the USA and Mexico between July 27 and the start of the US Open on August 31.
The Washington Open and Memphis Classic get underway on July 27, with the Canadian Open starting on August 3.
The Cincinnati Open will then kick off on August 10 ahead of the Monterrey Open on August 24.
In the long term, Williams may even have an eye on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
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