It is a remarkable clash of generations. The current world number 87 is 24 years Serena's junior and has played at one Wimbledon to her opponent's 21. She could barely believe it when she found out she was set to face the seven-time champion and 23-time major winner.
"I was sitting down with my coach and I thought he was pranking me," Joint said.
She faces a peculiar dilemma: A winnable match for a player desperate to recapture the form that saw her reach a career-high ranking of 28 last year, yet a contest that will have added weight and pressure on it with millions of eyes around the world fixed firmly on Centre Court later today.
Joint's biggest challenge isn't Serena's tennis: it is the aura and gravitas that surrounds her. Joint will be setting foot into the lion's den. She can expect that the crowd will be fully behind the tennis legend on Centre Court as they crave a Serena victory, and for a player who has desperately struggled this year, the occasion may be overwhelming. The defining factor could be how she handles it all.
But since announcing her headline-making return at the start of June, Serena has played just two doubles matches. Serena 'evolved away from tennis' in 2022, and Father Time remains undefeated. So locking horns with a 20-year-old whose movement should expose any issues with her own court coverage won't be straightforward.
Serena has shown flashes of her trademark power in doubles, but singles is a totally different beast.
Speaking to the press, Joint seemed positive about the unique challenge in front of her.
"It's an honour. I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams, and if you'd told me 10 years ago that I'd be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that's just crazy," she said.
"I have so much respect for her, and she was one of my idols growing up. I'm just really excited to have the opportunity to play against her."
But who is Maya Joint?
Born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to an Australian father and German mother, Joint made the decision to represent Australia when she was 16, before moving to Brisbane for better opportunities.
In 2024, she became the youngest Australian to ever win a W75 event at the Burnie International, before her breakthrough year in 2025, in which she captured her first two WTA titles and rose from outside the top 100 to a career-high ranking of 28.
A bright prospect with an excellent backhand, 2026 has been nothing short of a nightmare. With a 2-13 record, Joint suffered an injury after Indian Wells that sidelined her for two months, and she has been on an 11-match losing run since, tumbling down the rankings.
Joint remains upbeat and confident in her ability, though.
“Any match is winnable. I've gotten a lot closer in my past couple matches. I've been getting closer in the score," she said.
In another interesting subplot, Joint admitted that she has been speaking with friend and fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, who was the last player to play Serena when she toppled the American in front of a boisterous home crowd at the US Open.
“I talked to Ajla this morning, and she gave me a little pep talk, which was nice," Joint admitted. "She told me I can beat anyone, and Serena will be just as nervous, probably, coming back in her first match at Wimbledon.
In all likelihood, if Joint can keep her composure on a stage that is going to be like nothing she has experienced before, her youthfulness and energy could very well prove too much for Serena.
But this isn't a scenario that comes around often. Tennis can be the loneliest place, and she is going to be in a cauldron of an atmosphere. This could be the first step in Joint's resurgence, or a confidence-sapping defeat for a highly-talented player battling for normality.