Serena Williams, 44, has accepted a wildcard to compete in Wimbledon 2026 singles, making her first Grand Slam singles appearance since the 2022 US Open. The 23-time Grand Slam champion will face 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the first round at the All England Club on Monday, June 29 — a match that has immediately become the most anticipated opening-round contest of the tournament.
Williams stepped back from competitive singles after the 2022 US Open, but received both a singles and a doubles wildcard at Wimbledon 2026 (she will also partner with sister Venus in doubles). "I had never thought I would come back," she told reporters ahead of the tournament. Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic praised her return ahead of his own opening match, and 19-year-old rising star Mirra Andreeva admitted candidly: "I would not want to play against her."
Her comeback sends shockwaves through the sport. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is drawn in a section where the two could potentially meet if both advance. Williams says her motivation is deeply personal: "It is really about my kids getting to see me play." At 44, she would be the oldest woman to compete in a Grand Slam singles main draw in the Open Era if she advances beyond the first round.