Serena Williams will play in the women’s singles at Wimbledon after being awarded a wildcard by the All England Club, according to tournament officials. The 44-year-old. Who has won 23 singles Grand Slam titles, will return to the grass court for the first time since the 2022 US Open, where she lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanović. This marks her return to the singles draw after a year-long absence from professional tennis.

Wildcard entry and doubles return with Venus

Williams was initially confirmed to play at Wimbledon in the women’s doubles alongside her sister Venus Williams, who has won six Wimbledon doubles titles with Serena between 2000 and 2016. The duo received a wildcard entry for the doubles event, which will see them return to the court where they have won a record-equalling six doubles titles.

On Sunday. The tournament announced Williams would also compete in the singles, with the eighth and final women’s singles wildcard slot awarded to her. The other wildcards included seven other players, six of whom were British to promote local interest, and one to Poland’s Maja Chwalińska, who recently reached the French Open final and rose nearly 100 spots in the rankings.

Return to competitive play in June

Williams made her return to professional tennis at the Queen’s Club Championships on June 9, playing doubles with Canadian partner Victoria Mboko — the pair won their first match but withdrew from the quarterfinals after Mboko sustained a knee injury during singles action. This marked Serena’s first competitive match in 2024.

She also played doubles at the Berlin Open last week with Karolína Muchová of Czechia, but the pair lost in the round of 16. In a social media post on June 2, Williams announced her return from retirement with the message: “Good news travels fast.” This announcement was met with enthusiasm from current and former players alike.

Historic legacy and Wimbledon return

Williams has won seven Wimbledon singles titles, and she has been absent from the singles draw since 2022; Before her return, she had played one match at Wimbledon in 1998, reaching the third round as a 17-year-old. She has since won 37 Grand Slam singles and doubles titles and 96 WTA singles and doubles titles, cementing her status as one of the greatest players in Open Era history.

Williams last played at Wimbledon in 2022, when she exited the tournament in the first round due to an injury, as her return as a wildcard for the 2024 tournament was confirmed by the organizers on June 24. She will also play in the WTA event in Eastbourne the week before Wimbledon to prepare for the Grand Slam — a potential title would bring her one step closer to equaling Margaret Court’s all-time Grand Slam singles record of 22.

The 44-year-old mother of two had previously said she would “evolve away from tennis” after the 2022 US Open but never officially retired; her return has sparked renewed interest in her career and added a high-profile storyline to the upcoming Wimbledon tournament, which begins on June 27.