Serena Williams revealed why she couldn’t turn down a Wimbledon singles comeback
Serena Williams has admitted she almost turned down the chance to return to Wimbledon singles before she was convinced the opportunity was simply too special to pass up. The seven-time champion said she had to “talk to herself” before accepting the All England Club’s final wild card for this year’s tournament.
The 44-year-old, who has already committed to playing doubles alongside sister Venus Williams, will now make her long-awaited return to singles for the first time since 2022. Ahead of her first-round clash with Australia’s Maya Joint, Serena revealed she spent days debating whether to accept the invitation.
“I thought I should really take this opportunity. Who knows if I’ll ever get here again. This could be it,” Williams told reporters.
“I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me, Serena? What are you thinking? Are you crazy?’ Like you really should.
“People live to be athletes. I have a great opportunity to showcase what I do, what I do best, I suppose. Yeah, I guess I ended up being like, this is pretty cool, so I should do it.”
Williams also admitted the decision was far from easy and said she remained uncertain until the deadline.
“I had until Monday to decide. I think it was like Sunday. I wasn’t sure until then.
“Honestly, I’m not sure yet, but we’ll see.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion will return to center court on Tuesday night against 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint, marking her first Wimbledon singles appearance since losing to Harmony Tan in the opening round in 2022.
SERENA’S WIMBLEDON COMEBACK
Williams retired from professional tennis after the 2022 US Open, famously describing the decision as an “evolution” from the sport rather than a retirement. After nearly four years away from singles competition, she returned to the tour earlier this month, first competing in doubles at the Queen’s Club before playing again in Berlin.
Her comeback gained momentum when Wimbledon awarded her a doubles wild card alongside sister Venus, before the All England Club handed her the final singles wild card just days later.
Despite holding one of the biggest records in the history of the tournament with seven Wimbledon singles titles and 23 Grand Slam crowns overall, Williams insisted she is approaching this comeback differently than any other phase of her career.
She acknowledged at the weekend that her expectations had changed, reflecting both her time away from the sport and the unique nature of this final chapter.
Williams now faces one of the youngest players in the draw at the Maya Joint, who she admitted she has already studied.
“Yeah, I actually know her. I watched some of her videos,” Williams said, adding with a smile, “I’m sure she knows my game.”
Whether this turns out to be her last appearance at Wimbledon or the start of a longer comeback remains to be seen. But for Serena, accepting the wildcard meant making sure she never had to wonder what might have happened if she walked away from this opportunity.
– The end
Published on:
29 Jun 2026 02:43 IST