Having not competed since her farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open, Williams accepted a wild-card entry to participate in women’s doubles alongside her sister Venus, who is 46. She followed this by accepting another wild card to compete in singles.
“I see her in the gym more than I think I ever did during her prime,” Djokovic, a 24-time major champion, said regarding Williams, a 23-time major singles winner. “This shows me that she is genuinely committed to making this work as best as possible.” Djokovic continued, “I have always respected her career, her journey, her narrative. The same goes for Venus.” Williams last played at Wimbledon in 2022, where she was defeated in the first round by Harmony Tan, who was ranked 115th at the time. The American tennis legend stepped away from the sport—what she termed as “evolving” away—after losing in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic at Flushing Meadows. Her second daughter was born in 2023.
Williams, a seven-time singles champion at Wimbledon, could face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is among the many fans and players eager for next week’s matches.
“I heard she mentioned she’s doing this so her kids can see her play. They really get excited about it,” Sabalenka noted.
“It’s incredible what she’s doing. And it’s Serena Williams; everyone’s been talking about her return. She’s drawing more attention to tennis, which is great for the sport. I’m really looking forward to watching her play.”
First Published: Jun 27, 2026 10:59 PM IST
