Serena locks in return to Wimbledon singles draw
Updated . First published
Serena Williams will return to the grass at Wimbledon for the first time in four years after receiving the final wildcard to play in the women’s singles draw.
The 44-year-old was unveiled as the final wildcard recipient for the women’s draw on Monday, just days after announcing she would be teaming up with her sister Venus in the doubles event at the grand slam tournament.
Venus and Serena Williams embrace after finishing a women's doubles match. Getty
Williams has only played in doubles events since her retirement, most recently partnering with Victoria Mboko in the doubles at Queen’s Club. The pair won one match but were forced to withdraw after Mboko was injured.
Wimbledon will mark the first tournament the Williams sisters have played in doubles together since the 2022 US Open.
On the grass at the All England Club, the legendary pair have won six doubles titles. The last time they lifted the Wimbledon trophy was in 2016.
Serena will continue to play in the doubles format leading up to the grand slam event, first joining Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Open.
Venus, who turns 46 on Wednesday, has been competing in singles tournaments occasionally over the past 12 months.
Williams had kept the door ajar for a return to singles earlier this month, although she did tell reporters she would “need to get to work” to be fit.
She has won seven Wimbledon singles titles.
Williams, a 23-time grand slam champion, will learn who her first-round opponent is on Friday.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios was given a wildcard to play in the men’s doubles, teaming up with world No.11 Alexander Bublik.
Elsewhere, Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov were handed singles wildcards. It will be the last time Wawrinka plays at the event as he plans to retire this year.
Matteo Berrettini is a surprise exclusion from the list, despite his recent quarter-final appearance at the French Open.
The Italian star is ranked No.49 in the world but he was outside the top 100 when the Wimbledon entry list was formed.
There is still a chance Berrettini is named in the main draw but that will be dependent on late withdrawals in the men’s singles.
Wimbledon begins on June 29.
