Tennis icon Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, will make a highly anticipated return to singles competition at Wimbledon 2026 after receiving a wild card entry, the tournament announced. The 44-year-old superstar's comeback marks her first Grand Slam singles appearance since the 2022 US Open, where she famously "evolved away" from the sport. The news, initially shared by The Athletic, has ignited excitement among fans globally.
Williams has recently re-entered competitive tennis, participating in doubles events at Queen's Club and the Berlin Open. She will also team up with her sister, Venus Williams, for the women's doubles tournament at Wimbledon, having received a wild card for that event as well. The All England Club confirmed the singles entry on Sunday, June 21, filling the final wild card spot for the women's draw.
Prior to this announcement, Williams had been non-committal about a singles return, stating at a Queen's news conference, "I want to play singles and we’ll see if I get there, and if not, that’s not my journey right now." Her last singles match at Wimbledon was in 2022, also as a wild card, where she lost in the first round.
Williams boasts an unparalleled record at Wimbledon, having won the singles title seven times, with her most recent victory in 2016. While no player has ever won the ladies' singles title as a wild card, Serena and Venus have previously won the doubles title twice as wild card entries in 2000 and 2002. Wimbledon 2026 is scheduled to commence on Monday, June 29.
