LONDON (AP) \u2014 There were still serves beyond 120 mph. Plenty of heavy groundstrokes landing within inches of the baseline, too.<\/p>\n
Serena Williams<\/a> won plenty of praise about her game from her fellow players at Wimbledon<\/a> a day after her first singles match in nearly four years<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 44-year-old Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint<\/a> of Australia in the first round on Tuesday but showed she could be competitive after being away for so long.<\/p>\n Coco Gauff ended her dinner early to find somewhere to watch Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Serena\u2019s level was insane,\u201d Gauff said Wednesday. \u201cIt proves even more how she\u2019s the GOAT despite age and all that. I don\u2019t know how she can play that level not playing for four years. I was already nervous not playing two weeks before this tournament. I couldn\u2019t imagine four years.<\/p>\n \u201cI just love her. I love her fight. And the serve is unbelievable,\u201d Gauff added after her second-round win. \u201cYou just look at her and you think, \u2019This is like 10 years ago.\u2019 It\u2019s really insane. I think it was cool for the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n The 87th-ranked Joint was in the top 30 earlier this year.<\/p>\n \u201cMaya played top-10, top-5 tennis. Obviously she\u2019s a great player,\u201d Gauff said. \u201cShe seems like an even, chill girl. I do think if anyone was ready for the moment, it would be her.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams announced on Wednesday that she tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set but said she still hopes to play doubles with sister Venus later in the week.<\/p>\n Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion who won seven of her titles at Wimbledon, did not ask for medical treatment during the match and did not meet with media afterward.<\/p>\n \u201cSerena tweaked her right knee at the end of the first set and was therefore excused from her media obligations by the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams,\u201d said Jill Smoller, Williams\u2019 agent. \u201cShe left site that night unaided and is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match later this week.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams confirmed the injury on Instagram and added<\/a>, \u201cIt felt so good to be back on the grass (at) Wimbledon. I\u2019m incredibly thankful for the wild card \u2014 and even more grateful my daughters got to see that it\u2019s never too late to chase something you love.<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations 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,\u201d Williams added.<\/p>\n Serena received wild card invitations from Wimbledon organizers to play both singles and doubles with Venus.<\/p>\n Serena has said that having her two daughters<\/a> off from school inspired her comeback and it marked the first time that her youngest daughter, Adira, who is almost 3, saw her play singles. Adira sat next to her 8-year-old sister, Olympia in the front row of Serena\u2019s players\u2019 box.<\/p>\n Alexis Ohanian<\/a>, Williams\u2019 husband, wrote on social media: \u201cOur little family is so proud of you (at)serenawilliams \u2014 even though it wasn\u2019t the outcome you wanted, you\u2019re an inspiration. We love you\u201d He added that the kids \u201care also happy they got to stay up a bit past their bedtime.\u201d<\/p>\n