- Serena Williams enters the Wimbledon singles draw via a wildcard spot.
- The 44 year old returns to singles after four years away.
- Personal motivation stems from her daughters seeing her play professionally.
Serena Williams is set for a surprise singles return at Wimbledon this month. The 44-year-old accepted a wildcard, taking the final spot in the women’s main draw. This follows a four-year hiatus from singles. She has been given the final spot in the women’s main draw to fill a gap.
Earlier this month the player contested two doubles matches to ease back in. She already held a wildcard for doubles with her sister Venus. When asked about singles, she was cautious, stating « You think I’m ready for singles? I need to get to work. »
Serena Williams takes a wildcard for the singles draw
Her record on grass is stellar, with 107 wins from 123 matches. She has claimed seven singles titles at Wimbledon. Despite this she remains one short of Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam wins. Her last Wimbledon singles win occurred back in 2019.
The athlete has secured 73 WTA singles titles and completed a Golden Slam. She previously matched Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 major singles titles. A recent practice session on Sunday convinced her that the timing was right for this return.
The drive for this comeback is familial. She wants her two daughters, Olympia and Adira, to watch her compete. The main motivation was the prospect of her daughters seeing her play on the big stage once more.
Returning after four years is a bold move for any pro. As an unranked player she might face a top seed immediately. Williams will discover her first-round opponent when the draw takes place on Friday. The action starts on 29 June.
