So the 1,204th best female tennis player strode onto Centre Court in her flamboyant housecoat and her fishnet tights.

And she huffed and she puffed and – even in defeat – she brought the bloody house down.

Serena Williams lost a marathon first round match at Wimbledon.

The person returned after a year of injury on Tuesday nightCredit: ReutersSerena Williams — venture capitalist, Hollywood producer, activist, fashionista, mother and occasional tennis player — hasn’t played a singles match in a year.

But if Diana Ross can headline Glastonbury at 78, Serena can certainly headline Wimbledon at 40.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion – who is part of a consortium trying to buy Chelsea Football Club this year – said she has enabled the ‘out of office’ function on her email to focus on one position. tennis intelligence.

And after a dramatic three-hour first-round clash with Wimbledon debutant Harmony Tan, Williams fell 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 – denying herself a second singles victory. Her 99 at this tournament came in a draw in the final set.

Wearing stickers on her face to aid a sinus problem Williams began with severe ring rust – a double fault, a wild volley which missed an open court and she was broken in the opening game.

During an epic fourth game, though, the old warrior-princess spirit emerged – and twice Williams walloped cross-court winners on the return of serve.

The second time, she screamed in triumph.

After a long rally, Williams broke. Then she got out her whack-a-mole backhand and broke again.

But rather than wilting, Tan got a taste for it.

She broke back via an outrageoυs lob and before she successfυlly served for the first set, she even had the temerity to start cheerleading the Centre Court crowd – the support act attempting to upstage the grand diva.

Then came the second game of the second set, a marathon arm-wrestle of THIRTEEN deuces – before Williams’ willpower prevailed.

Serena reeled off five games in a row – that racket resembling a fly-swat – and we were soon into a final set.

The American broke early, then after an improvised winner at the net, she raised her arm aloft like the Statue of Liberty.

Harmony Tan pushed the seven-time Wimbledon champion all the way before winning a tie-break.

But Tan refused to yield. She broke back and Williams looked rattled. Muttering under breath. Presumably something about respecting your elders.

Momentarily, it felt as though those 40 years were beginning to show – limbs aching, lungs burning, every stretch accompanied by a shriek, as Williams raged against the dying of the light.

But Williams broke again, then Tan struck back as she served for the match.

And Williams saved a match point in her next service game to force a tie-break, where she blew a 4-0 lead and succumbed 10-7.

Yet if this was her swansong, she had certainly belted out one hell of a tune.