It’s been talked about ever since announced nearly three weeks ago that she was after almost four years away from the sport.
Still, seeing the single-sentence announcement from The All England Club that the 23-time Grand Slam champion will play singles at was stunning nonetheless.
鈥淪erena Williams (USA) receives the final ladies鈥� singles wild card,鈥� read the key line in Sunday’s announcement, which was issued eight days before the grass-court Grand Slam begins.
At age 44, Williams will actually play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon after already accepting
鈥淭his is not a drill,鈥� Wimbledon said on its social media accounts Sunday.
Commented the WTA Tour, 鈥淣ame a more iconic return鈥e鈥檒l wait.鈥�
Wimbledon held open the eighth and final women’s 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.
鈥淥h my gosh, there are some left?鈥� she replied when she was told there was still a wild card spot open. Wild cards are special invitations handed out by tournament organizers, 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.
鈥淒o you think I鈥檓 ready for singles?鈥� she asked a reporter and then turned to doubles partner Karolina Muchova to ask what she thought.
鈥淚 think I would be interested in it,鈥� the Czech player responded.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the question of the hour, right?鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know. I don鈥檛 know. I wonder why there鈥檚 鈥� I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Well, now that Williams has made up her mind, the big remaining question is how she can physically handle singles play after so long.
was a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she didn鈥檛 want to use the word 鈥渞etiring鈥� and instead declared that she was 鈥渆volving鈥� away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.
鈥淛ust finished a mean game of duck duck goose,鈥� after the wild card announcement.
Of Williams’ 23 Grand Slam titles in singles, seven have come at Wimbledon: in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016. She鈥檚 also won 14 Grand Slams in doubles, all with Venus, and six of them at Wimbledon.
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.
At her last Wimbledon appearance in 2022, in her first match since having to stop less than a set into her opening contest at the All England Club because of .
at Queen鈥檚 Club last week but then the pair had to withdraw after Mboko injured her knee in a singles match.
In another doubles match at the Berlin Open on Tuesday, by Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe.
As of Sunday, Serena had not entered the singles draws of any grass-court tuneup tournaments before Wimbledon.
She will learn who her first-round opponent is on Friday when the singles draws for Wimbledon are held.
While she鈥檚 No. 593 in the doubles rankings courtesy of her victory last week, Serena has no singles ranking after being away for so long.
, while .
Because Serena has no ranking, she could potentially face Swiatek, Sabalenka or any other top-ranked player in the opening rounds.
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