Serena Williams is making an unexpected comeback to the singles circuit at Wimbledon this month after accepting a wildcard invitation. The 44-year-old tennis legend secured the final position in the women’s main draw following a late tournament vacancy. Williams, who has captured the Wimbledon singles title seven times, currently sits one victory shy of Margaret Court’s historic 24 Grand Slam record.
Although she previously earned a wildcard to compete in doubles alongside her sister Venus, Williams remained hesitant about a singles return earlier this month. However, she has since shifted her focus toward playing in front of her two daughters, Olympia and Adira. Having already participated in recent doubles matches, she traveled to London to begin training on the grass courts this past Thursday.
Throughout her career, Williams has accumulated 73 WTA singles titles and held the world number one ranking for 319 weeks. Her impressive resume includes a career Golden Slam and an 87% win rate on grass surfaces. Following her previous stint at the 2022 US Open, she famously avoided using the term retirement, keeping the possibility of a competitive return alive. Her opponent for the first round will be determined when the official draw is conducted this Friday, ahead of the tournament’s start on June 29.
