Serena Williams’ Wimbledon opponent was forced to forfeit £160k prize | Tennis | Sport
Serena Williams’ rival has also gone through plenty of disappointments (Image: Getty)
Serena Williams’ return to tennis will be the main story when she steps onto the court at Wimbledon. However, there is also plenty to prove for her first-round opponent Maya Joint.
Joint, 20, is a young prospect who will be entasked with ruining the return of one of tennis’ all-time greats. The 23-time Grand Slam winner will be competing in her first Wimbledon singles match for four years and Joint will be looking to end her return quickly. It would be a huge achievement for the Australian ace, who has endured many difficult moments during her career, including a time where rules prevented her from scooping up £160,000 in prize money. Despite not even entering her prime, Joint has also previously flirted with retiring from the sport.
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At the start of the month, the Australian No.1 admitted a frustrating year on the tour left her contemplatintg her future in the sport. After she was emphatically beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Anastasia Potapova at the French Open, which was her tenth loss in a row during an injury hit period, Joint admitted retirement came across her mind.
She said: “There’s definitely moments where I’ve thought, like, ‘Oh, should I be doing this any more?’ I mean, it’s been a rough half of the year.
“But everyone thinks that at some point, especially after losing quite a few matches in a row. But I’ve talked with my team about it, and I love the sport — and I want to keep playing for as long as I can.”
Joint has had many obstacles in her career (Image: Getty)
Nevertheless, there have been some highs in her career, particularly her breakout tournament which saw her overcome Laura Siegemund in the opening round of the US Open aged 18, banking a handsome $210,000 (£160,000) in prize money.
However, because she was enrolled in an American university at the time, she was not allowed to take the cheque home, as National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) rules dictate players enrolled in university cannot earn more than $10,000 in prize money every year.
She tried to overturn this rule immediately by sending her attorney Jason Miller, who approached the United States Tennis Association for an extension of the decision regarding prize miney. When the decision was made, he said: “The money is gone. It’s immensely disappointing.”
A USTA spokesperson also released a statement of their own, saying: “While we understand and are empathetic to Ms Maya’s situation, it would be unfair and inequitable to change our practice or grant exceptions to these rules in the middle of a tournament after others have already made their decisions and submitted their paperwork based on the long standing practice.”
