American tennis legend Serena Williams is set to return to the singles draw at Wimbledon, ending months of speculation amongst tennis enthusiasts. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club announced on Sunday, 21 June, that the 44-year-old former world number one has been awarded the final ladies’ singles wildcard for the upcoming Championships. This decision marks her return to Grand Slam singles competition after a significant hiatus.
The official Wimbledon Instagram account confirmed the announcement, stating:
“This is no drill.”
Prior to the singles wildcard announcement, Williams had already been confirmed to compete on the historic grass courts in the ladies’ doubles tournament alongside her older sister, Venus Williams. The inclusion of the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion in both the singles and doubles draws adds substantial anticipation to the tournament, which is scheduled to commence on 29 June.
Grand Slam Achievements at Wimbledon
Throughout her career, Williams has established an exceptional record at the All England Club across both singles and doubles disciplines:
| Discipline | Titles Won | Winning Years |
| Ladies’ Singles | 7 | 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016 |
| Ladies’ Doubles (with Venus Williams) | 6 | 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016 |
Career Trajectory and Recent Form
Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, the mother-of-two made her tournament debut at the All England Club in 1998 as a 16-year-old. Her most recent singles appearance at Wimbledon occurred in 2022, where she entered via a wildcard but suffered a first-round defeat against France’s Harmony Tan. Following the 2022 US Open, Williams announced her intention to step away from professional tennis, though she notably refrained from declaring a formal retirement.
The veteran player initiated her competitive comeback to the court earlier this month in the doubles division. She partnered with Canada’s Victoria Mboko at the Queen’s Club Championships, before continuing her competitive preparation by playing doubles at the Berlin Open this week. Williams’ dual-participation in both singles and doubles draws means she will contest a multi-front campaign at SW19 for the first time in several years.