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It\u2019s been talked about ever since Serena Williams announced nearly three weeks ago that she was returning to professional tennis after almost four years away from the sport.<\/p>\n
Still, seeing the single-sentence announcement from the All England Club that the 23-time grand slam champion will play singles at Wimbledon was stunning nonetheless.<\/p>\n
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Serena Williams already has seven singles titles at Wimbledon to her name. Now, at the age of 44, she\u2019s ready to make a comeback.Andreas Gora\/DPA via AP<\/p>\n
\u201cSerena Williams (USA) receives the final ladies\u2019 singles wild card,\u201d read the key line in Sunday\u2019s announcement, which was issued eight days before the grass-court grand slam begins.<\/p>\n
At age 44, Williams will actually play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon after already accepting a wild card for the doubles competition with older sister Venus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a drill,\u201d Wimbledon said on its social media accounts Sunday.<\/p>\n
Commented the WTA Tour, \u201cName a more iconic return \u2026 we\u2019ll wait.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wimbledon held open the eighth and final women\u2019s singles wild card spot until Williams made up her mind. As recently as earlier this week after losing a doubles match in Berlin, she appeared to be waffling over the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my gosh, there are some left?\u201d she replied when she was told there was still a wild card spot open. Wild cards are special invitations handed out by tournament organisers, which allow former champions and others access to the main draw without the necessary entry qualifications. But then she mused about her readiness for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think I\u2019m ready for singles?\u201d she asked a reporter and then turned to doubles partner Karolina Muchova to ask what she thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I would be interested in it,\u201d the Czech player responded.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the question of the hour, right?\u201d Williams said. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I don\u2019t know. I wonder why there\u2019s \u2014 I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, now that Williams has made up her mind, the big remaining question is how she can physically handle singles play after so long.<\/p>\n
Serena\u2019s most-recent singles match was a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 US Open. At the time, she said she didn\u2019t want to use the word \u201cretiring\u201d and instead declared that she was \u201cevolving\u201d away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust finished a mean game of duck duck goose,\u201d Williams said on X after the wild card announcement.<\/p>\n
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Williams playing doubles at the Berlin Open last week.AP Photo\/Ebrahim Noroozi<\/p>\n
Of Williams\u2019 23 grand slam titles in singles, seven have come at Wimbledon: in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016. She\u2019s also won 14 grand slams in doubles, all with Venus, and six of them at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n
Serena also swept the singles and doubles (with Venus) titles at the 2012 London Olympics, when the tennis competition was held on the hallowed grass of the All England Club.<\/p>\n
At her last Wimbledon appearance in 2022, Serena was beaten in the opening round by 115th-ranked Harmony Tan in her first match since having to stop less than a set into her opening contest at the All England Club because of an injury the year before.<\/p>\n
Serena won a doubles match with partner Victoria Mboko at Queen\u2019s Club last week, but then the pair had to withdraw after Mboko injured her knee in a singles match.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In another doubles match at the Berlin Open on Tuesday, Serena and Muchova were beaten by Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe.<\/p>\n
As of Sunday, Serena had not entered the singles draws of any grass-court tune-up tournaments before Wimbledon.<\/p>\n
She will learn who her first-round opponent is on Friday when the singles draws for Wimbledon are held.<\/p>\n
While she\u2019s No.593 in the doubles rankings courtesy of her victory last week, Serena has no singles ranking after being away for so long.<\/p>\n
Related Article Iga Swiatek is the defending Wimbledon champion, while Aryna Sabalenka is ranked No.1.<\/p>\n Because Serena has no ranking, she could potentially face Swiatek, Sabalenka or any other top-ranked player in the opening rounds. News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d426610188b0651820438e9bb0e6aa0d8ba01cd1.jpeg\")
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AP<\/p>\n