Serena Williams to compete at Wimbledon singles as wildcard

Tennis legend Serena Williams, who announced her retirement in 2022, has been granted a wildcard entry for the upcoming Wimbledon grass‑court championships, set to begin in a week.

Organisers released the initial list of wildcard recipients on Sunday, naming Williams— a seven‑time champion at the All England Club— as one of eight players awarded a spot in the ladies’ singles draw.

A post on the official Wimbledon Championships social‑media account read, “This is not a drill,” accompanied by an image of Williams standing on a grass court with the caption “Serena returns.”

“@serenawilliams will compete in the 2026 ladies’ singles at #Wimbledon as a wild card,” the account added.

The 44‑year‑old former world No. 1 and 23‑time Grand Slam singles champion has not played a singles match since the 2022 US Open.

She did, however, appear at Queen’s last week alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. The pair defeated the third‑seeded doubles team of Nicole Melichar‑Martinez and Erin Routliffe before Mboko’s injury forced them to withdraw without playing another match.

Williams and her Czech doubles partner Karolina Muchova were eliminated in their opening match at the Berlin Open this week, just hours after the American and her sister Venus Williams received a wildcard for the Wimbledon doubles event.

The sisters are six‑time Wimbledon doubles champions, with their last title coming a decade ago.

AFP

The post Serena Williams to compete at Wimbledon singles as wildcard appeared first on Vanguard News.