Novak Djokovic says 'people need to cool off a little bit with judgment' on Serena Williams

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic knows just what it means to have to live up to lofty expectations after years of titles and trophies.

He’s 39 and is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who now plays only sparingly.

So he’s better positioned than almost anyone else to analyze what Serena Williams — a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion just like he is — must have been feeling after losing at the All England Club earlier this week in the first singles match that she played in nearly four years.

“People always expect you to play at your best because they’re used to seeing you dominate the sport for many years,” Djokovic said. “She’s 44. She has two children. Coming back, it’s normal that she still is not at her best in terms of movement. She hasn’t played a match in so many years. People need to cool off a little bit with judgment and criticism and everything. Let’s just enjoy the greatness, who she is, what she represents to the sport.”

Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia in the first round on Tuesday but showed she could be competitive with an opponent less than half her age after being away for so long.

Williams still cranked out serves faster than 120 mph and dictated points with her heavy groundstrokes. But movement was an issue and the 87th-ranked Joint was able to win more of the big points by hitting beyond the reach of the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.

“Her wanting to give it a try and just come back is an incredible gift for our sport," Djokovic said. "I think people sometimes — I don’t know why — they don’t appreciate that enough. They just start to speculate, judge or whatever. It’s like, ‘Hey, guys, enjoy. You have the greatest ever to come play for you, to bring more attention to your sport.’

“I really support Serena. Always have. Hopefully she’s going to play more,” Djokovic added.

Williams was given wild card invitations to play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon and it remains to be seen whether she will still play doubles with older sister Venus.

Williams announced on Wednesday that she tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set against Joint. She said she still hopes to play doubles but the Williams’ sisters opener against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina was only the remaining first-round match not on the schedule for Friday. There's is still a possibility they could play Saturday.

At last year’s U.S. Open, Djokovic publicly challenged Serena to return.

“When somebody challenges her, she never refuses. So I challenge Serena: Come back on the tour next year,” Djokovic said in 2025.

Now, Djokovic wants to see Serena play this year’s U.S. Open.

“I hope for the sake of tennis and all of us that we be able to see her more,” Djokovic said. “I assume that U.S. Open is somewhere where she would like to play. Playing in her home Slam would be amazing for her and for everyone else.”

Djokovic won his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets Wednesday night on Centre Court — 24 hours after watching Serena’s match on the same court on TV.

“What she’s doing is incredible. Epic,” Djokovic said. “I’ve always been a fan of Serena. I’m sure she wanted and expected to at least win one match or more. Knowing how competitive she is, the mind of a champion that she has, she’s not happy with just showing up on the court. She wants to win.”

Lindsey Vonn, another 40-plus athlete who recently made a comeback, struggled at times in her first season back on the World Cup skiing circuit after nearly six years of retirement.

But Vonn was the top World Cup downhiller last season at age 41 until her horrific crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February left her with a severely fractured left leg.

Vonn attended Serena's comeback in doubles at Queen's last month and last week told The Associated Press ahead of Williams' singles return, “I would expect for her to play well but not show all her cards yet.”

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

FILE - United States' Lindsey Vonn concentrates ahead of an alpine ski, women's downhill official training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati, file)

Serena Williams of the United States sits during a changeover in her first round women's singles match against Maya Joint of Australia, at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates his victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in their second round men's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Serena Williams of the United States celebrates winning a point against Maya Joint of Australia in their first round women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

Serena Williams of the United States plays a backhand against Maya Joint of Australia in their first round women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An explosive device was detonated Thursday in a popular cafe in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killing at least nine people, Syria's Health Ministry said.

The explosion near the main courthouse complex left 20 others wounded, the ministry said as reported by Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya network.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. Security forces rushed to the cafe and cordoned off the area as they investigate the attack.

Syria's Interior Ministry said in a statement that the explosive was a “crude improvised explosive device weighing approximately one kilogram equipped with metal shrapnel.” It said investigators were reviewing security camera footage, collecting forensic evidence and interviewing witnesses.

“The perpetrators of this terrorist act and those behind it will be brought to justice, and no one involved will escape accountability,” it said.

A video circulating on social media showed several wounded people lying on the ground, with police officers nearby. Ambulances later rushed to the scene treating people on site and taking the more severely wounded to hospitals in the Syrian capital.

The cafe is near the Syrian capital's main judicial complex and was frequented by lawyers who worked in the neighborhood.

Jalal Aljanani, who owns a restaurant next door, ran toward the cafe when he heard the explosion and was horrified by the sight of the bodies on the floor.

“We carried the victims to the cars until the traffic police arrived,” he told The Associated Press, his shirt covered in blood. "Many of them had suffered severe impact injuries, and almost all of them were bleeding.”

Since overthrowing the Assad dynasty and taking power in a lightning insurgency in December 2024, Syria’s new rulers have cracked down on militants from the extremist Islamic State group in an attempt to thwart attacks in and around the capital.

During the uprising-turned war in Syria that began in 2011, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa led the Hayat Tahrir al Sham group, formerly affiliated with al-Qaida, but since coming to power has vowed to protect Syrians of all backgrounds, especially religious and ethnic minorities.

Al-Sharaa has reasserted the government's full authority across the vast majority of the country, wresting control back from extremist groups or Kurdish-led forces. However, he still contends with security concerns as he tries to stabilize the country.

Security agencies frequently announce that they have raided IS cells and thwarted attacks reportedly targeting minorities and busy commercial areas. However, several incidents such as a suicide bombing in a church in July 2025 have raised concerns among many Syrians.

— Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Omar Albam in Damascus contributed to this report.

Syrian security inspects the site after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the main courthouse complex, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, July 2, 2026 (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Syrian security inspects the site after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the main courthouse complex, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, July 2, 2026 (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Syrian security inspects the site after an explosive device was detonated in a cafe near the main courthouse complex, in Damascus, Syria, Thursday, July 2, 2026 (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)