There had been rumors of Serena Williams’ return to tennis since December. Still, it came as a surprise when the American great announced she would be playing at Queen’s. Williams’ first tournament back was cut short when doubles partner Victoria Mboko was forced to pull out due to injury. The pair had won their first-round match against Erin Routliffe and Giuliana Olmos.
Williams then partnered Karolina Muchova in Berlin, where Serena met Routliffe and Olmos for the second time in two weeks. Williams and Muchova lost 6-4, 6-4. After the match, Kiwi Routliffe said that she loved that Serena was playing doubles.
But has Serena’s return to tennis come too soon for her to truly compete at Wimbledon, and might she enter the singles?
Wimbledon 2026 women’s singles
Williams and Muchova put up a good fight in Berlin, but there were times when the pair looked uncertain of their roles. Tennishead writer George Patten said there were a few occasions when they got their wires crossed, and suggested the margin for mistakes was finer in doubles tennis.
Fans are still unsure whether Serena will compete in the singles at Wimbledon. The tournament confirmed that she and sister Venus Williams have received a wildcard to compete in the women’s doubles. (Serena said her daughter Olympia told her that she should play with Venus, and that the young Williams is “always right”.)
Queen’s partner Mboko praised Serena’s movement and recalled one shot hit on the run that was particularly impressive. But singles is a different ball game. As much as athletes like Williams, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have challenged perceptions of a tennis player’s peak years, no one wins singles championships aged 44 (but then no one – male or female – can match Serena’s record of winning three of the four Grand Slams at least six times).
After her doubles loss in Berlin, Williams was asked if she would compete in the Wimbledon singles. Serena teased fans when asking, “Would you be interested if I took [a wildcard]?”
Despite Iga Swiatek’s emphatic 6-0, 6-0 victory in last year’s final, the Pole is seen as only third favorite by most bookmakers. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are favorites. Mirra Andreeva, who won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, is another challenger.
The men’s side is also uncertain, with Carlos Alcaraz out injured, Jannik Sinner recently struggling in the Parisian heat, and Djokovic navigating new challenges as he approaches his 40s. Alexander Zverev, like Andreeva, won his first Slam in France and is seen as one of the likeliest challengers to Sinner at Wimbledon – along with Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, and Ben Shelton, who recently won his third title of the year on as many surfaces.
Possible role model for Serena
Andre Agassi climbed back to No. 1 in the world after falling to No. 141. Agassi’s circumstances were different to Serena’s: he hadn’t retired, and his descent was partly due to injuries and personal struggles. But Agassi’s remarkable comeback may offer Williams some encouragement. When everyone was doubting him, the American won his one and only Roland Garros title, completing the career Grand Slam and becoming the first player to do so across three surfaces. Agassi was seeded 13th.
Serena, of course, will be unseeded if she were to compete in the Wimbledon singles, as she will be in the doubles. Venus has competed on the tour since 1994 (in more recent years, intermittently due to health issues). The Williams sisters have won six doubles titles at SW19; Serena currently has seven singles titles.
