Serena Williams' return to tennis just got even bigger.
Just weeks after announcing her comeback to professional tennis, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has officially been granted a wild card into the ladies' singles draw at Wimbledon, tournament organizers announced Sunday.
Williams was already set to compete in the women's doubles event alongside her sister Venus Williams, but the latest announcement means the 44-year-old will once again chase an eighth singles title at the All England Club. The move marks another major step in one of the most surprising comebacks in recent tennis history.
Williams stepped away from the sport in 2022, famously writing in an essay for Vogue that she was "evolving away" from tennis rather than fully embracing retirement. At the time, she admitted she struggled with the idea of leaving the game behind.
"There is no happiness in this topic for me," she wrote. "I don't want it to be over, but at the same time I'm ready for what's next."
Now, nearly four years later, she's back.
Earlier this month, Williams shocked the tennis world by announcing she would return to competition at the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club in London. She called the event the perfect place to begin her next chapter and said grass courts have provided some of the most meaningful moments of her career.
That comeback got off to a rocky start when her doubles partner, Victoria Mboko, suffered a knee injury before their match, forcing Williams to postpone her return to competitive action. But Wimbledon will offer a much grander stage.
Williams is one of the most decorated players in the tournament's history, having won seven singles championships at the grass-court major. Her victories came in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016.
She and Venus have also dominated doubles at Wimbledon, capturing six titles together and becoming one of the most successful sibling duos in sports history.
Their reunion was confirmed earlier this week when Wimbledon released its initial list of wild card entries for the 2026 Championships. The return of Serena has generated excitement throughout the tennis world, with many eager to see how she fares against a younger generation of stars.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships begin June 29.
