Serena Williams will make a surprise return to singles action at Wimbledon later this month after accepting a wildcard.
The 44-year-old has been given the final spot in the women’s main draw, by filling a gap left following the initial announcement last Tuesday.
Williams has played two doubles matches since making her competitive return earlier this month after a four-year absence.
She has won the Wimbledon singles title seven times but remains one short of Margaret Court’s long-standing women’s record of 24 Grand Slam wins.
Williams had already been given a wildcard to play alongside older sister Venus in the Wimbledon doubles.
Williams has not won a singles match at Wimbledon since 2019, when she lost in the final to Romania’s Simona Halep.
She spent 319 weeks at the top of the world rankings and has won 73 singles titles on the WTA Tour during an illustrious career.
She has also completed a career ‘Golden Slam’ in singles and doubles – winning all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold – and won every singles major at least three times.
Williams will discover her first-round opponent when the draw takes place on Friday, with the tournament getting under way on Monday, 29 June.
(The Whistler)