Serena Williams’ singles return sets ratings record for 1st-round Wimbledon match on ESPN‎

Serena Williams’ singles return at Wimbledon was watched by an average of 1.8 million viewers on ESPN, helping make it the network's biggest audience for a Day 2 at the grass-court Grand Slam. The match, which was the 44-year-old Williams’ first singles contest in nearly four years, had a peak of 2.1 million viewers despite being played on a Tuesday afternoon in the U.S, the network said Friday. Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia but showed she could be competitive with an opponent less than half her age after being away for so long.