Serena Williams escapes $50k fine for act slammed by fans at Wimbledon

Serena Williams has escaped a hefty fine after she did not attend post-match media duties following her return to Wimbledon.

The 44-year-old marked her sensational comeback to Centre Court when she lost in three sets to Maya Joint on Tuesday night, in what was her first Grand Slam appearance in four years.

Williams received a standing ovation after her spirited defeat, with the Wimbledon crowd delighted that they got to see the 23-time Grand Slam champion in action.

The crowd did not get the opportunity to hear from Williams after her defeat, though, after it was stated she was 'not able' to undertake her mandatory post-match media duties.

According to the 2026 Grand Slam rule book, “both winning and losing players or teams will be required to attend post-match media opportunities following the conclusion of each match”.

The rules are in place to “help drive engagement with the sport” and “enable players to put across their opinions on their performance and provide valuable exposure to the media and fans." It also warns that any violation of the rule can lead to a fine of up to $50,000.

Williams did not speak to the media after her first-round exit, but issued a brief statement to the All England Club that was then shared among the press.

“It was really great to be back at Wimbledon,” Williams said. “I never expected to be here. The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing. I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything.”

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The All England Club said they were satisfied with the quote and decided they had no grounds to penalise the tennis legend for her infringement. The rules state a player can skip media on “reasonable grounds," which they accepted in the case of Williams.

Williams will hope for a more successful run in the doubles tournament, where she will team up with her sister Venus once again. The siblings were handed a wildcard for the competition and will face Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in the first round, who are competing in their first doubles event as a pair.

It will mark the Williams sisters' first doubles match together in four years, having won the Wimbledon doubles title together six times. Serena is also a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, while her sister Venus has won it five times.

Their last doubles title came a decade ago in 2016, while they also won a third Olympic doubles gold medal at London 2012, which was hosted at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

Williams criticised by fans after Wimbledon defeat

Despite receiving a standing ovation from those inside the venue on Tuesday, some eagle-eyed fans noticed her "rubbish" handshake and were quick to criticise her.

"Took away a wildcard from a deserving player" someone wrote on X, while another replied: "I thought I couldn't stand her less.... but she managed to do it."

"I feel bad for the tennis player kicked out/prevented from going so they can bring in Serena," a third commented.

Meanwhile, some supporters didn't see anything wrong with the handshake, with one person stating: "Greatest to ever to do it. She deserved the wild card. Probably just frustrated. She gets a pass."

In the lead-up to the 2026 grass-court grand slam tournament at SW19, Williams played doubles at Queen's Club in London and in Berlin.

That is ideal preparation for her doubles showdown on Thursday, where she will hope to win her seventh doubles title at Wimbledon.