Tennis icon Serena Williams will make her first Wimbledon appearance since 2022 after she and sister Venus Williams were awarded a wildcard entry into the doubles tournament.
The 44-year-old recently made a stunning return to competitive tennis, winning a first-round doubles match at Queen’s Club Championships alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.
Serena had been away from professional tennis for four years after announcing she was “evolving away” from the sport following the 2022 US Open. However, she recently revealed her desire to return to the court and play in front of her two young daughters.
Her comeback at Queen’s was cut short after Mboko withdrew through injury, but Serena is set to continue her return at the Berlin Open, where she will partner Karolina Muchova in doubles.
The Williams sisters boast an impressive Wimbledon doubles record, having won six titles together, including their most recent triumph during their last appearance as a pair at the tournament ten years ago.
Speculation had grown over whether Serena would seek a place in the singles draw, but she was not included among the wildcard recipients for the singles event, which begins on June 29.
A seven-time Wimbledon singles champion and winner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, Serena has not captured a major title since defeating Venus to win the 2017 Australian Open. Her last Wimbledon singles crown came in 2016.
Her return to action at Queen’s, 1,375 days after her previous professional match, generated huge excitement among tennis fans. Despite concerns over her lengthy absence, she showcased flashes of her trademark power and precision, thrilling spectators with her serving and groundstrokes.
Meanwhile, five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus has struggled in singles competition this year, losing all seven of her matches. The 45-year-old, who now competes only occasionally, did secure a doubles victory alongside Katie Boulter in Madrid earlier this season.
Elsewhere, retiring three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov received wildcards into the men’s singles draw, while Maja Chwalinska earned a women’s singles wildcard after reaching the French Open final earlier this month.
