A Wimbledon invite for Serena Williams: a big singles return

Serena Williams, one of the greatest names in tennis history, is returning to the singles court at Wimbledon. According to the All England Club's announcement on Sunday, the 44-year-old American legend will enter the 2026 Wimbledon women's singles as a wild card. Williams received the eighth and final wild card in the ladies' singles category, paving the way for her return to Grand Slam singles.

This decision is a hugely meaningful comeback for Williams. The experienced player last played singles at the 2022 US Open, losing in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic. At the time, not wanting to use the word "retirement," Williams said she was "evolving" away from tennis. After this break of more than three and a half years, she returned to professional tennis this month; her comeback so far had come on the doubles court. Williams played her first match in four years at Queen's Club with Canada's Victoria Mboko, and although the pair won their opener, they withdrew due to Mboko's knee injury. She then partnered Karolína Muchová in Berlin and went out in an early round.

Williams also held a wild card in the doubles with her sister Venus. This will be the sisters' first pairing at the All England Club in a decade; the duo have won six doubles titles at the London major. So Serena will compete in both singles and doubles at Wimbledon.

Williams' career holds a special bond with Wimbledon. The queen of the grass reached the singles title seven times, last winning in 2016. The holder of 23 Grand Slam singles titles in total, she is seen as one of the greatest women's players of the Open Era. As she has no singles ranking, Williams could face top-ranked opponents such as Iga Swiatek or Aryna Sabalenka in the early rounds. The singles draws are held on Friday, with Wimbledon starting on June 29. Speaking before the tournament, Williams stressed she does not feel a need to win, has nothing left to prove, and is playing purely for her love of the sport.

Image: Seattle Times