Serena Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, made her doubles comeback at the start of the grass court season. The 44-year-old had previously received a doubles wildcard for Wimbledon, partnering with her sister Venus Williams, 46.

Williams remained tight-lipped about her singles return plans. When asked at WTA Berlin last week about a potential singles wildcard, she responded, "That's the most common question right now, isn't it? I don't know."

The 23-time Grand Slam champion delayed her decision to return to singles, only informing Wimbledon organizers at the last moment. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) spent the entire week allocating various wildcards. By the morning of 21/6, only one singles wildcard remained. With the women's singles qualifying list released today, the AELTC was compelled to finalize the last wildcard recipient before the draw.

Williams during her doubles match with Muchova at WTA Berlin, Germany on 16/6. Photo: Reuters

Serena Williams secured a win in her comeback doubles match at Queen's Club mid-month, partnering Victoria Mboko. Mboko later withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury sustained during a singles match. Williams then teamed up with Karolina Muchova in Berlin last week, but they lost their first match. Following this, Serena trained on the All England Club's grass courts, preparing for her Grand Slam return.

Serena Williams retired four years ago at the 2022 US Open. Her career's first chapter ended on a high note with a stunning victory over then-world number 2 Anett Kontaveit, though she later fell in a three-set match to Ajla Tomljanovic. However, her Wimbledon campaign that year had an unhappy conclusion.

Following a hamstring injury from a slip on Centre Court during an opening-round match in 2021, Williams faced another first-round exit at Wimbledon 2022 against then-world number 115 Harmony Tan. Many speculate that this defeat fueled her desire to return to Wimbledon. She has not won a singles match at the tournament since 2019.

Singles tennis requires significantly more movement and physical fitness than doubles, posing a significant challenge for a 44-year-old athlete. However, true to her career spanning over 30 years, Serena has never avoided major challenges. While matching Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles remains unlikely, a memorable performance is certainly within Serena's reach.

By Vy Anh