And Just Like That…Serena’s Playing Singles at Wimbledon
Serena Williams seizes the moment at Wimbledon in 2016.Photo: Getty Images
Let’s just be honest, yes? We all knew this day was coming. When Serena Williams announced, early this month, that she was returning to pro tennis—ostensibly to play doubles, first with Victoria Mboko at the Queens tournament and then with Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Open—did any of us think she’d stop there?
Certainly not. But did we think she’d be playing singles so soon? Also no—but it’s now official: the 23-time grand slam champion is continuing on her doubles journey at Wimbledon, yes, this time with her seven-time slam champion sister Venus—but she’s also just accepted the final wild card from the tournament to play singles.
For the record, Serena, who’s now 44, first played Wimbledon in 1998; she’s since won the women’s singles there seven times, the women’s doubles title six times (all with Venus), and the mixed doubles once (with Max Mirnyi). She hasn’t, however, played there since 2022, the year she consciously uncoupled from the pro game.
Who’s she playing first? We won’t know that for a few days, when the Wimbledon draw is announced on Friday. As an unranked wild card, she’ll likely face a tough route to the later rounds. Does this mean she’s playing the US Open as well? At the moment, nobody knows. Obviously we—along with the rest of the world—will be watching with great interest.
Stay tuned—both for Serena action and for our tournament preview.
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
Frequently Asked Question
Serena Williams’s first-round opponent is currently unknown until the official Wimbledon draw is announced on Friday. Her unranked wild card status means she faces a challenging tournament bracket.
Serena Williams has not confirmed whether she will compete in the US Open. Her current schedule focuses entirely on her competitive return to the grass courts at Wimbledon.
Serena Williams last competed at Wimbledon in 2022, which was the same year the tennis star stepped away from playing professional tennis on the global tour.
Serena Williams has won fourteen total Wimbledon titles, including seven women’s singles championships, six women’s doubles trophies with Venus Williams, and one mixed doubles victory.
Serena Williams is partnering with her sister Venus Williams for the women’s doubles tournament, continuing their historic on-court collaboration that has yielded six previous titles.