Serena Williams has decided to return to Wimbledon as a singles wild card

Serena Williams is poised to make a stunning return to Wimbledon singles after being handed the final wild card by the All England Club. The seven-time champion will compete in the singles draw at a grass-court major for the first time in four years, adding another remarkable chapter to one of tennis’ greatest careers.

The announcement comes just days after Williams already confirmed her return to Wimbledon by competing in the doubles alongside sister Venus Williams. Speaking about her comeback earlier this month, Serena revealed that her daughter Olympia played a major role in convincing her to return to professional tennis.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion left the sport after the 2022 US Open, saying she would “evolve from tennis”, although she never formally announced her retirement.

The All England Club confirmed the wild card on Sunday and Wimbledon itself posted on social media: “This is not a drill.”

The decision immediately creates one of the biggest storylines heading into this year’s third Grand Slam, which begins on June 29.

SERENA WILLIAMS RETURNS THE CHAPTER

Williams’ comeback has already been one of the good stories of the tennis season.

The American great returned earlier this month after nearly four years on tour, making her first doubles appearance at the Queen’s Club alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. This was followed by another doubles match in Berlin before turning her attention to Wimbledon.

At 44 and now a mother of two, Williams remains one of the most decorated female athletes in sports history. Her Wimbledon legacy alone is extraordinary. After making her tournament debut in 1998, she won the singles titles in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016.

She also claimed six Wimbledon doubles titles with Venus, forming one of the most successful sibling partnerships the sport has ever seen.

Her last singles appearance at Wimbledon came in 2022 when she entered the tournament as a wild card before losing to Harmony Tan in the opening round.

WHAT MADE SERENA WILLIAMS COME BACK?

While tennis fans spent years wondering if Williams would ever make a comeback, inspiration reportedly came from an unlikely source – her daughter, Olympia.

Williams recently revealed that a conversation with her eight-year-old daughter helped convince her to give professional tennis another shot. Eventually, the thought of returning to Wimbledon and sharing the stage with sister Venus again became too special to ignore.

The wildcard now gives Serena an opportunity that few would have expected to see again. Not only will she be reunited with Venus in the doubles competition, but she will also get another chance to step onto Center Court as a singles player.

Whether the comeback will result in another deep Wimbledon run remains to be seen. But for a player who has spent more than two decades redefining greatness in women’s tennis, just seeing Serena Williams back in the singles draw feels like one of the sport’s greatest victories.

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Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

22 Jun 2026 0:44 IST