Serena Williams is back at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022 after receiving a wildcard into the women’s doubles alongside Venus. The 44-year-old’s comeback story stretches back to a win at the Queen’s Club before injury cut short her partner Victoria Mb
Serena Williams walked back into Wimbledon with a wildcard, and this time it’s for doubles—partnering her sister Venus, just as the All England Club confirmed their first tranche of entries on Tuesday morning.
The 44-year-old returns for the first time since 2022. bringing a run of six women’s doubles titles with Venus that still feels like part of Wimbledon’s identity. The announcement instantly sharpens the Championships’ storyline: there had been talk of Williams testing herself in singles. but that idea never looked like the most likely path—and the wildcard makes it official.
Wimbledon’s return is part of a wider comeback trail that started four years after her last professional match. Williams resumed competitive tennis at the Queen’s Club’s HSBC Championships. where she won a round before injury forced her out of the match involving her partner Victoria Mboko. She is now playing this week in Berlin with Czech Karolina Muchova.
Prize money is also part of the backdrop to this wildcard list. After the All England Club’s 20 per cent bump in prize money, all recipients of singles wildcards this year will receive a minimum of £80,000.
On the men’s side, the wildcard picture carried its own tension. Of the six of the eight wildcards announced. there was none for Dan Evans—setting up a difficult moment for a player who said last week that he would retire after Queen’s and Wimbledon. Evans. perplexed after Queen’s denied him a pass into the main draw and he then lost in qualifying. now finds Wimbledon matching that door closing. For him. the practical outcome seems to be a spot in qualifying and the men’s doubles with former junior Wimbledon champion Henry Searle. even as two more wildcard places are still expected.
The decisions haven’t sat easily with tennis fans in Britain. It is highly controversial to deny a spot to a player who has done so much for the game in this country.
Other men’s singles wildcards were handed to British players Jacob Fearnley, Arthur Fery, Jack Pinnington Jones and Toby Samuel. Stan Wawrinka, in his final season, received a wildcard too, but Gael Monfils—also retiring this year—did not. Grigor Dimitrov was invited in after the pectoral injury he suffered while leading eventual champion Jannik Sinner last year.
Women’s singles wildcards bring their own momentum shifts. Shock French Open finalist Maja Chwalinksa is included. with the rankings cutoff for direct entry to Wimbledon taken before her run lifted her to 21st in the world. The other six women’s singles wildcards (one held back) went to Brits Harriet Dart and Katie Swan. plus newcomer Alicia Dudeney. 23. who has moved from outside the world’s top 1000 a year ago into the top 250.
There’s also a strong teenage presence in the list: Hannah Klugman (17), Mimi Xu (18) and Mika Stojsavljevic (17).
The men’s doubles wildcard pairing draws extra attention, with Nick Kyrgios teamed with Alexander Bublik among the most eye-catching combinations. The remaining three men’s doubles wildcards will be announced in due course.
Back at Wimbledon. Serena Williams is returning alongside Venus — and for all the sport’s talk of comebacks. the detail that matters most is simple: she’s not just testing herself again. she’s doing it under the bright lights of her most iconic stage. with a sister she has already won six doubles titles with.
Serena Williams Venus Williams Wimbledon wildcard Wimbledon doubles Queen's Club HSBC Championships Victoria Mboko Karolina Muchova Dan Evans retirement Grigor Dimitrov Jannik Sinner Nick Kyrgios Alexander Bublik Maja Chwalinksa Harriet Dart Katie Swan