Serena Williams will make a stunning return to singles competition at Wimbledon, nearly four years after what was believed to be her final match at the 2022 US Open. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, aged 44, has accepted the final ladies' singles wildcard for the tournament, the All England Club confirmed on Sunday.
Williams had already received a wildcard into the doubles draw with her sister Venus, marking their first doubles partnership since the 2018 French Open. Her return to singles comes after a brief comeback in doubles at London's Queen's Club last week, where she partnered with world No. 9 Victoria Mboko before Mboko withdrew due to injury.
The former world No. 1 last competed at Wimbledon in 2022, losing in the first round to Harmony Tan. She announced her retirement later that year after the US Open, but re-entered the mandatory anti-doping testing pool towards the end of 2025, a requirement for players returning to competition.
Williams had been evasive about her singles intentions in Berlin this week, telling reporters: 'Do you think I'm ready for singles? That's the question of the hour. I don't know... I need to get to work.' Her participation will see her compete in singles at SW19 for the first time in four years.
