Tennis legend Serena Williams is set to make her comeback to the sport at Wimbledon 2022, the 40-year-old all but confirmed on social media on Tuesday.
Later, Wimbledon too confirmed Williams’ participation with a post on social media.
“The stage awaits. Our 7-time champion will return to Wimbledon as a wild card this summer for her 21st appearance,” they tweeted.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion last played on the tour at Wimbledon in 2021, where she suffered a heartbreaking exit in the first round against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. At 3-3 in the first set, Williams twisted her ankle and couldn’t continue.
However, she is ready to make her comeback now and posted about it on her Instagram account.
“SW and SW19. It’s a date. 2022 See you there. Let’s Go,” wrote Williams.
Unranked on the WTA list at the moment, Williams was not included in the women’s singles entry list for Wimbledon 2022. Based on her Instagram post, the American is set for a return at Eastbourne in the lead up to Wimbledon.
“She will pair up with Tunisia’s world No.4 Ons Jabeur for the doubles event of the LTA’s Rothesay International at Eastbourne,” LTA said in a statement.
“Eastbourne will also mark Williams’s first doubles event on tour since she made the 2020 Auckland final paired with good friend Caroline Wozniacki,” added a report on WTA.
The Wimbledon wildcard announcement put her on the women’s singles list. Also getting a wildcard was Stan Wawrinka in men’s singles.
The American veteran has won The Championships seven times and will match Margaret Court for the most women’s singles Major titles if she wins another one. The last Grand Slam she won was the 2017 Australian Open. She won the last of her seven Wimbledon singles titles in 2016, but also reached the final in 2018 and 2019 after returning from having a baby.
Wimbledon, which has no ranking points for WTA or ATP, begins on June 27.
Inputs from AFP
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