French tennis pro, Harmony Tan notched up the biggest win in her career so far after ousting the legendary Serena Williams in the first round of Wimbledon 2022.
Harmony Tan came into the match ranked No. 115 against the 7-time Wimbledon champion. This was also the 24-year-old Tan’s first appearance in the most prestigious Grand Slam of the year. However, she held her nerves and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of Wimbledon.
The match between Williams and Tan lasted three hours and eleven minutes. This is the longest match thus far at the tournament this year. Tan came back twice after being a break down in the third set. She eventually won 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(10-7).
This was only her third main-draw win at a Grand Slam and the fact that it came against a 23-time Grand Slam champion will make the win even more special.
“I feel really tired now, but really happy,” Tan said after the match. “I play every ball like just, put some slice, some change, some variety on the game, and it works today.
“It’s a dream because, you know, I saw Serena on the TV when I was young. My coach, [1998 Wimbledon runner-up] Nathalie Tauziat, played her 20 years ago. So, yeah, it’s a big generation. She’s a legend.”
Serena Williams returned to action just before the Wimbledon. She played in the Eastbourne International tournament where she teamed up with Ons Jabeur. The duo reached the semi-final before the Tunisian suffered a knee injury that forced them to withdraw from the tournament.
Serena Williams suffered a leg injury during the 2021 Wimbledon. The injury kept her out for a year before she returned at the Eastbourne International. Fans were thrilled to see the former No. 1 back in action. The first-round loss for the 40-year-old is certainly a bitter pill to swallow for her fans.
Here’s how the Twitter world has been reacting since the monumental upset:
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