Serena Williams warmed up for her return to Grand Slam tennis by partnering with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko for a doubles victory at the Queen's Club Championship in London. The win came just before the All England Club announced it had awarded the 44-year-old a wild-card entry into the Wimbledon singles draw, marking her first singles competition in nearly four years, according to multiple reports.
How did Williams prepare for her return?
Williams played two doubles matches in June as preparation for her Wimbledon comeback. She and Canadian partner Victoria Mboko defeated New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and American Nicole Melichar-Martinez 7-6, 6-2 at the Queen's Club Championship, as reported by AOL.com. Williams later played a doubles match at the Berlin Tennis Open with Karolina Muchova, which they lost, according to the Taipei Times.
Will she play more than singles at Wimbledon?
Yes, Williams will compete in both the singles and doubles events. The All England Club granted wild-card invitations for Williams to play in the singles draw and for her to team up with her sister, Venus Williams, in the doubles competition, NBC Sports reports. The sisters, who have a combined age of 90, are aiming for their seventh doubles title together at the tournament.
What is the Williams sisters' history at Wimbledon?
The Williams sisters have a celebrated history at the All England Club. Together, they have won the women's doubles title six times, with their first victory in 2000 and their most recent in 2016, according to the Taipei Times. In singles, Serena Williams has won the championship seven times, while Venus Williams has earned five singles titles on the London grass courts.
The Wimbledon main draw will be announced on Friday, with the tournament scheduled to run from June 29 to July 12. Williams will play her first-round singles match on either Monday, June 29, or Tuesday, June 30, according to NBC Sports.
Sources
- Taipei Times: Serena, Venus to play Wimbledon together. AP, 2026-06-18.
- CNA: Serena's return puts familiar force at centre of Wimbledon. Reuters, 2026-06-23.
- Yahoo Sports: Serena Williams To Talk Business And Venture Capital At Invest Fest 2026. Black Enterprise, 2026-06-23.
- AOL: Serena Williams Wins First Tennis Match in 4 Years as Family Supports Her Return in Stands. People, 2026-06-23.
- Flashscore.co.za: Serena Williams' box-office return takes centre stage at Wimbledon. Reuters, 2026-06-23.
- NBC Sports: How to watch Serena Williams at 2026 Wimbledon: Schedule, TV/stream info, preview as tennis legend returns. NBC Sports, 2026-06-23.
- AOL: Serena Williams plans return to Wimbledon for singles competition. AP, 2026-06-23.
- NBC Sports: It’s ‘Serena being Serena’ as Williams makes audacious singles return at Wimbledon. Associated Press, 2026-06-23.
Reported from public sources.