Williams given Wimbledon singles wild card

Serena Williams is gearing up to play in the women’s singles draw at Wimbledon later this month after receiving a wild card from the All England Club. 

The 44-year-old had already been granted entry into the doubles tournament alongside her sister Venus Williams, but tournament organizers confirmed on Sunday that she will also compete in singles.

Williams retired from professional tennis after the 2022 US Open but announced her return earlier this month. 

Her appearance at Wimbledon will be her first singles match at a Grand Slam in nearly four years. 

The former world number one owns seven Wimbledon singles titles and 23 Grand Slam singles crowns overall.

The final women’s singles wild card had remained unallocated for several weeks, leading to speculation about whether Williams would accept an invitation if one was offered. 

Wimbledon confirmed the decision on Sunday, completing the list of wild card entries for the tournament, which begins on June 29.

Her return follows an encouraging comeback appearance at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club two weeks ago. 

Williams partnered with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in doubles and won her opening match against third seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe.

Venus Williams will also return to Wimbledon this year after a three-year absence. 

The sisters have been awarded a doubles wild card and will play together at the tournament for the first time since 2018. 

They have won six Wimbledon doubles titles together and hold a perfect 14-0 record in Grand Slam doubles finals.

Williams has not publicly outlined her goals for the singles event, but the wild card gives her a chance to compete again on the grass courts where she enjoyed some of the biggest successes of her career. 

Wimbledon will be her first singles tournament since returning from retirement, with the draw placing her alongside the current generation of players for the first time in nearly four years.