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Serena Williams receives a Wimbledon singles wildcard for her first singles match in nearly four years, returning alongside Venus.
Serena Williams to play in the women’s single event at Wimbledon. (Picture Credit: AP)
Serena Williams is set to make one of the most anticipated returns in recent tennis history after receiving a wildcard for the Wimbledon singles draw, marking her first individual match in nearly four years. The seven-time Wimbledon champion will open her campaign against 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint and will also compete in the doubles event alongside her sister Venus Williams.
The 44-year-old has not played a singles match since her third-round exit at the 2022 US Open, where she famously described her departure from the sport as “evolving” rather than retiring. Since then, Williams has welcomed her second daughter and gradually worked her way back to competitive tennis through a pair of doubles appearances before confirming her return to singles at the All England Club.
Her comeback adds another fascinating storyline to an already competitive women’s field. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka enters Wimbledon chasing her maiden title at the Championships, while defending champion Iga Swiatek is aiming to become the first woman since Williams in 2016 to successfully defend the crown. Rising stars such as Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff, alongside former champion Elena Rybakina and home favourite Emma Raducanu, further strengthen the title race.
Serena Williams‘ preparation has included rejoining the anti-doping testing pool, intensive training under coach Rennae Stubbs and noticeable improvements in fitness. Her powerful serve and trademark baseline hitting were evident during her recent doubles comeback, although singles competition presents a far greater challenge.
Can Serena Williams Win On Return?
Former US Open champion Andy Roddick admitted he was astonished by Williams’ confidence in choosing Wimbledon as the stage for her return.
“Not having played a singles match in years, like a lot of years, and saying, you know what, ‘I think my first, dipping my toes back in is going to be at Wimbledon’, I would have scheduled seven events.”
“Imagine being in Serena’s brain, where it’s like, ‘It’s going to be Wimbledon, I’m good enough, I can handle this, no problem.’ That’s levels of confidence that I didn’t have for 12 seconds of my existence in my entire life.”
Former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport also believes Williams would not have returned unless she felt capable of making an immediate impact.
“It doesn’t get easy as you get older and grass is a tough surface to start on,” she told the BBC.
“The ball goes very quick, very low and it’s very physical. It’s not going to be easy but if anyone could do it, certainly it could be her.”
Roddick also pointed out the unique pressure awaiting any top player who may face Williams in the draw.
“If you’re Sabalenka, and you play Serena, who hasn’t played in four years, she comes out and gets three or four (service) holds… there is no upside if you’re Sabalenka, zero.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
About the Author
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for over a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket conten…Read More
London, United Kingdom (UK)
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