Serena and Venus Williams are set to reunite on the court for doubles at Wimbledon this month, following the awarding of a wildcard into the women’s doubles draw. The All England Club revealed the recipients on Tuesday morning, generating excitement as it marks Serena’s return to competitive play after a four-year hiatus from the sport.
A seven-time singles champion, Serena did not apply for a wildcard for singles, and at 44 years old, she has remained discreet about her intentions to return to singles competition. Venus, who has five singles titles to her name, also did not receive a singles wildcard. The 46-year-old has been active on the tour since her debut in 1994, with interruptions only due to health issues.
Wildcards and Tournament Details
The selection process for wildcards at Wimbledon included some challenging decisions. Maja Chwalinska, who made headlines by reaching the French Open women’s singles final as a qualifier, has also been granted a wildcard. Despite not qualifying based on rankings due to a deadline that fell just before the French Open, Chwalinska will enter the tournament as both a wildcard and a seeded player, currently ranked No. 21.
Additionally, singles wildcards have been given to veterans Stan Wawrinka, who has announced his retirement for this year, and Grigor Dimitrov. British player Dan Evans, who will also retire after the Championships, was not initially listed for singles but has received a doubles wildcard to compete alongside his fellow Brit, Henry Searle.
Serena’s Comeback Journey
As part of her comeback, Serena is scheduled to compete today against Karolina Muchova, the No. 10 seed, in the first round of the Berlin WTA tournament, partnering with Erin Routliffe and Giuliana Olmos. She made her return to competitive play last week at Queen’s Club, where she won her opening match alongside Victoria Mboko against Routliffe and Nichole Melichar Martinez.
Unfortunately, Mboko had to withdraw from their subsequent match and the rest of the grass court season due to a torn medial collateral ligament.
Historic Achievements of the Williams Sisters
The Williams sisters are renowned for their remarkable success as a doubles team, having claimed 14 Grand Slam titles together, which is the second highest in the Open Era. They hold the record for the most women’s doubles titles at Wimbledon, with six championships, and have also won three Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles. Both sisters have achieved the No. 1 ranking in the WTA standings.
