Why Serena Williams is continuing tennis return with Wimbledon singles wild-card entry originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Serena Williams made her return to competitive tennis in the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club and followed it up with an appearance at the Berlin Open. As it turns out, those efforts were setting the stage for a grand return.
Williams will shift from doubles to singles at Wimbledon, entering the field as a wild-card entry nearly four years after her most recent appearance in a grand slam event.
Sitting just one grand slam title short of Margaret Court’s all-time record, winning Wimbledon might be the dream for Williams, but it certainly isn’t the standard for a successful comeback. At 44, Williams is looking to prove she still belongs after so much time away.
Here’s what you need to know about Williams’ return to Wimbledon.
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Why Serena Williams is playing Wimbledon singles
Williams was already set to play doubles alongside her sister at Wimbledon, but after playing on grass in her recent doubles appearances, she evidently feels prepared to play singles at Wimbledon.
The tournament announced Sunday that Williams received the final wild-card bid to play singles:
This is not a drill.@serenawilliams will compete in the 2026 ladies’ singles at #Wimbledon as a wild card. pic.twitter.com/1vHnDEQ4xm
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 21, 2026
While many wondered whether Williams’ return was setting the stage for a Wimbledon singles appearance, the 44-year-old played coy about the possibility when asked recently about the chances of receiving a wild-card bid.
“Oh my gosh, there’s some left?” she asked. “Well I better get to practice! You think I’m ready for singles? I need to get to work.”
Williams believes she is ready for singles, but only time will tell whether she can compete at a high level nearly four full years after her last singles match.
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