Serena Williams, 44, gets sensational Wimbledon wildcard as icon targets seven-year first

Serena Williams has been confirmed to be making a comeback at Wimbledon this summer after being handed a wildcard.

The seven-time champion at SW19 is going to be playing in the Women’s Singles event for the first time since 2022.

Getty

The last time she won a match at the Grand Slam was in 2019 during the semi-finals – but she will now be back on the famous grass.

Wimbledon announced the news on Sunday evening, revealing that the tennis icon would be making her return.

The news comes just five days after the American also received a wildcard for the doubles alongside her sister.

Serena and Venus are set to play in that event too.

44-year-old Williams has won at Wimbledon seven times during her illustrious career, first tasting success 24 years ago in 2002.

She then went back-to-back in 2003, before following that up with wins in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016.

As mentioned, her last appearance at SW19 came in 2022, when she was handed a wildcard to compete in the women’s singles.

That year though, she lost in the first round to Harmony Tan.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner played her first game in four months alongside Victoria Mboko at Queens earlier this month.

And now she’s set for her long-awaited return, having not won a single match at Wimbledon in seven years.

Serena’s stunning stats

Williams is widely considered the greatest female tennis player of all time, boasting a record 23 Grand Slams.

She spent 319 weeks as World No.1 during her career, winning a whopping 73 singles titles in total.

On top of that, she completed the Golden Slam in both singles and doubles, picking up Olympic gold medals.

Seven of her Grand Slam victories have come at Wimbledon, while another seven were claimed at the Australian Open.

Williams also celebrated three successes at Roland Garros.

And she won six titles at her home Slam, the US Open.

Getty

Who else has been given a wildcard?

Williams is one of eight female stars to be handed a wildcard at Wimbledon, with six of those British.

Harriet Dart, Alicia Dudeney, Hannah Klugman, Mika Stojsavljevic, Katie Swan and Mimi Xu are also going to be playing.

Maja Chwalinska is the other to be invited to feature.

Alongside the Williams sisters in the doubles will be another six duos that have received a wildcard.

Great Britain’s Katie Boulter and Heather Watson are teaming up, with Jodie Burrage and Stojsavljevic forming a team too.

Madelein Brooks and Amelia Rajecki, Freya Christie and Eden Silva, Dart and Maia Lumsden, and Dudeney and Xu are the rest.