Tennis

Serena Williams' big Wimbledon comeback came up short on Tuesday -- as the tennis superstar was defeated in the first round of the singles tournament.

The 44-year-old took center court at the All England Club for the first time in four years ... facing off against Maya Joint in a three-set thriller.

After losing the first set 6-3, Serena fought her way back into it by winning a tiebreaker in the second ... but the 20-year-old Australian pro answered with another 6-3 effort to advance and end Williams' singles campaign.

Chris Evert says she underwent surgery and will begin chemotherapy shortly after a scan showed her ovarian cancer returned ... but the tennis legend is vowing once again to kick the disease's ass.

"I have always believed in being open and honest about my health journey. This past weekend, after undergoing CT and PET scans, I learned that my ovarian cancer has returned," the 71-year-old wrote.

"I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks."

Serena Williams is fully back in the tennis fold ... not only is she playing doubles at Wimbledon with her sister Venus -- she's looking to add to her singles trophy case too.

Tournament officials announced Sunday Serena will play solo at the event after receiving a wild card entry.

Serena's immersed herself back into tennis over the last month ... playing doubles matches at the HSBC Championships tournament in England and then the Berlin Open.

If ya thought Serena Williams' tennis comeback was cool, she's taking it one step further -- teaming up with her sister, Venus, to play doubles at Wimbledon!!

The news dropped on Tuesday ... with the org. stating Serena, 44, and Venus, 45, have accepted wild card invitations for the iconic tournament at the end of the month.

It's only right they reunite on the grass at the All England Club, as they've won six of their 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together there ... not to mention the handful of singles titles they've secured as well.

Serena Williams' big return to tennis had a lackluster ending ... with the legend being forced to exit the HSBC Championships tournament due to her partner's injury.

44-year-old Williams and Victoria Mboko's journey at the Queen's Club was off to a hot start -- they won in straight sets earlier in the week ... but the 19-year-old suffered a knee ailment in a singles match the next day, which was too much to overcome.

Mboko, 19, had to withdraw from that contest ... and on Thursday morning, the tournament confirmed her doubles match is off, too.

Serena Williams returned to the tennis court after nearly four years away ... and even at 44 years old, the G.O.A.T. didn't miss a beat, winning in straight sets!

In her first competitive match since the 2022 US Open -- over 1,350 days ago -- Serena, along with her doubles partner, 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, upset the number 3-seeded team of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe at the HSBC Championship at the Queen's Club in London.

Serena received a huge ovation as she walked onto the grass court. Williams and Mboko, unseeded, weren't even pushed, winning in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2.

Serena Williams' retirement from tennis didn't last long -- the 39-time Grand Slam winner in singles and doubles just announced she's coming back.

The 44-year-old superstar dropped the news via a Nike ad ... which shows her on the court as her phone blows up with calls and texts.

As she reaches for her phone, the words "Guess everybody heard the news" appear on the screen ... and then Williams says, "I gotta change my number."

Tennis player Rafael Jodar is firing back at controversy after a viral clip from his French Open match sparked debate over whether he shoved a ball girl during a chaotic courtside moment.

The Spanish teenager was in the middle of his third-round battle against American Alex Michelsen when footage began circulating online showing him walking after tossing his water bottle up to his dad in the stands, as a ball girl crossed in front of him between sets.

In the viral clip, the ball girl appears to momentarily lose her balance before quickly regaining it, leading to a wave of speculation on social media about what actually happened ... however, Jodar was quick to dismiss the suggestion that any contact took place, insisting the situation had been misunderstood.

Arthur Gea had more than his opponent to worry about at the French Open over the weekend ... because the dude suffered a full-blown bathroom emergency in the middle of his match and had to sprint off the court ASAP.

The French tennis star was making his French Open debut against Karen Khachanov Sunday when he suddenly stopped playing and pleaded with the chair umpire for an emergency bathroom break.

"I need to go to the bathroom. I can't move anymore," Gea said before rushing off court. At one point, he even warned ... "I'm going to (go) on the court."

If you thought preparing to compete against some of the greatest tennis players alive was tough, try planning the world's biggest night in fashion!!

Venus Williams was co-chair for the 2026 Met Gala alongside Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Anna Wintour ... and she aced the gig, all while looking like royalty.

But the work behind the scenes that folks don't get to see was no joke ... and Williams told TMZ Sports it's unlike anything she experienced on the court.

Former tennis star and Playboy model Ashley Harkleroad is breaking her silence on her marriage ending after 16 years ... telling TMZ Sports she's finally getting what she deserves -- freedom.

The 40-year-old athlete released a statement to us after we broke the news of her husband, Chuck Adams, filing for separation earlier this month ... and it's safe to say she's found her silver lining.

“I got married when I was 19 years old, I’ve spent the majority of my life listening to men, obeying them, my dad, my coach who was also my husband, and although he is an incredible father and life long friend it’s time for me to live my life on my own terms," Harkleroad told us.

Former tennis pro Ashley Harkleroad -- who famously got naked for Playboy -- is looking for a new doubles partner ... 'cause her husband filed for separation of marriage, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records show fellow tennis professional Chuck Adams submitted the docs on April 14 ... citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason behind the split.

According to the docs, Adams is seeking joint custody of their two minor kids -- ages 17 and 15 -- with physical custody going to Harkleroad and Adams getting visitation.

Tennis superstar Daniil Medvedev had an unforgettable performance on the court at the Monte-Carlo Masters -- and by "performance," we mean an epic meltdown for the ages.

The Russian athlete suffered the first double bagel loss of his career against Matteo Berrettini on Wednesday ... and during the blowout defeat, he took his frustrations out on his racket.

Medvedev slammed his equipment on the ground not once, not twice ... but seven times in a row before throwing it in the trash in the second set.

Shia LaBeouf has allegedly been terrorizing members of a tennis club near his home in New Orleans ... and now members are being told to steer clear of him.

TMZ obtained a notice that was sent out to membership at the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club ... and it says they are writing to inform them of ongoing disturbances involving a "new neighboring resident whose continued outbursts have affected the club environment."

Our sources tell us Shia is the resident being referenced here, and we're told he sits on his porch across the street from one of the club's exits and has random outbursts when interacting with members coming and going. And that's not all ...

Is the Tennis Channel getting into reality TV?! Corentin Moutet just called Danielle Collins out for claiming she turned him down after he flirted with her at the Miami Open -- and in DMs -- calling the story she told on TV a bunch of crap!

Here's the deal ... Collins, a four-time WTA singles champ, appeared on the Tennis Channel during the Miami Open on Sunday when one of the broadcasters asked about French star Moutet allegedly "cat-calling" her before a match.

Collins -- who is recovering from a back injury -- claimed Moutet was hitting on her, but she turned him down, saying she told him he needed a better serve to flirt with her. She then brought up Moutet unfollowing her after her "no short kings zone” comment on her dating profile that went viral last year.

"He was upset about that, messaged me, and then unfollowed me. Now he slid back in the DMs last night asking me if I saw his match and all the big serves that he was hitting," Collins said. "I don't think he has a chance ... yet."

Well, it doesn't seem like Moutet wants one after his response to her TV storytime.

Daniil Medvedev is on the verge of another signature outburst -- the tennis superstar is begging for assistance after touching down in Florida for the Miami Open ... only for his bags not to arrive.

The Russian pro went to social media to explain his current situation ... saying he could use "a little help" from United Airlines.

The 30-year-old explained he flew out of Palm Springs International Airport after losing to Jannik Sinner in the Indian Wells Masters over the weekend ... but the equipment he needs to do his job is nowhere to be found.