Serena Williams handed Wimbledon singles wildcard

Tennis legend Serena Williams is set to make a remarkable return to singles competition at Wimbledon after receiving the final wildcard entry. The announcement on Sunday by the All England Club confirms her participation in the prestigious Grand Slam, where she has won the singles title seven times. This marks her first singles appearance at Wimbledon in four years.

Williams, a 44-year-old mother of two, had already been confirmed to play doubles with her sister Venus. Her singles return is expected to be a major storyline for the tournament, which begins on June 29. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion recently returned to the court after a four-year hiatus, playing doubles at the Queen's Club championships and in Berlin.

Widely regarded as the greatest female tennis player of all time, Williams last played a singles match at Wimbledon in 2022. Following that tournament, she indicated she would "evolve away from tennis" but never officially retired. Wildcards are typically awarded to players who don't meet automatic entry rankings, often favoring home players, those with distinguished careers, or athletes returning from injury.

Williams first competed at Wimbledon in 1998. She secured her first singles title there in 2002, defeating Venus in the final. She went on to dominate the women's game, holding the WTA world number one ranking for a combined 319 weeks. Her subsequent singles victories at Wimbledon came in 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016. She also won six doubles titles at the event with Venus.

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