Novak Djokovic defends Serena Williams after Wimbledon loss: ‘Just enjoy greatness’

Novak Djokovic expected Serena Williams to be critical of her performance in her return to Wimbledon following a four-year hiatus, but the Serbian tennis superstar said no one else has any right to do the same.

Williams, 44, made her long-awaited return to Wimbledon earlier this week, marking her first match at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2022. Williams pushed her first-round matchup against 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint to three sets, but fell 6-3, 6-7 (6-7), 6-3.

Following Djokovic’s second-round win over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday, July 2, the 24-time major winner said people should enjoy “the greatest ever coming to play for you,” instead of criticizing or nitpicking.

“People always expect you to play at your best because they are used to seeing you dominate the sport for so many years,” said Djokovic, who admitted that he’s also a victim of his own success sometimes. “People need to cool off a little bit with the judgment and the criticism and everything.”

More: Serena Williams’ Wimbledon comeback bid ends with 3-set loss in first round

Novak Djokovic on Serena Williams:

“People need to cool off with the judgement. Let’s enjoy the greatness and what she represents to tennis. We have the greatest women’s player back. That’s a gift to our sport. I support her and hope she keeps playing.”pic.twitter.com/C8EKWnTHei

— Danny (@DjokovicFan_) July 1, 2026

Williams dropped the first set to Joint, but battled back from a 4-3 deficit to take the second set following a tiebreaker that featured a 122 mph ace by Williams. The seven-time Wimbledon champion ultimately fell 6-3 in the third set.

“Look, I said it even before the tournament started that what Serena is doing is incredible. It’s epic. I have always been a fan of her,” Djokovic, 39, said. “I really support Serena; I always have. Hopefully she will play more.”

Williams said she didn’t have any expectations heading into Wimbledon, other than to have a good time. “Sometimes it’s just good to enjoy yourself,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion said ahead of the third major tournament of the year. It’s a mind set that Djokovic wants fans worldwide to adopt.

“I’m sure she wanted and expected deep down inside to at least win one match or more … It’s normal that she is still not at her best in terms of movement. I mean, she has not played a match in so many years,” Djokovic said. “Let’s just enjoy the greatness and who she is and what she represents to the sport. Her wanting to give it a try and just come back, it’s an incredible gift for our sport. I do not know why people do not appreciate that enough.”

More: Serena, Venus Williams not on Wimbledon schedule for Thursday. Will they play Friday?

It’s not clear if Williams’ comeback bid will extend past Wimbledon. She received a wild-card entry into the women’s doubles competition with her sister Venus Williams, which would mark the first time they shared the court together at Wimbledon since they won it all in 2016. Their reunion, however, is in jeopardy after Williams tweaked her right knee in her first-round singles loss to Joint on Tuesday.

Djokovic hopes this is the first of many tournaments for Williams.

“Knowing how competitive she is and the mind of a champion she has, she is not happy with just showing up on the court. She wants to win. I hope for the sake of tennis and all of us that we will be able to see her more,” he said. “Nobody really knows what’s gonna happen, whether she is eager to play only Grand Slams. I assume that the US Open is somewhere she would like to play. Playing in her home major would be amazing for her and for everyone else.”

Williams last played singles at the U.S. Open in 2022, where she suffered a three-set loss to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović. She won her last U.S. Open title in 2014 and her last Wimbledon title in 2016, when she and Venus Williams also won it all in the doubles event.  

Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Novak Djokovic defends Serena Williams after Wimbledon loss: ‘Just enjoy greatness’