Serena Williams calls her return to Wimbledon "a very easy retransition" as she gears up for her first singles appearance at the All England Club in almost four years. The 44-year-old, a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, will face Maya Joint in the third match on Centre Court, stepping back onto the stage 1,396 days after her last singles contest at SW19.
Familiarity and change collided for Williams as she settled back into her old routines. "I’m back in the house that I stayed in for several years," she told BBC TV. "It’s nothing too new, and at the same time it’s everything new. Change is good." Life looks different now: since her last Wimbledon. Williams has welcomed her second daughter, co-founded a National Women’s Soccer League team, and even performed at the Super Bowl. Some faces and corners of the club have changed too, she admitted to briefly getting lost on her way to the media centre.
For Williams, just being back at Wimbledon is a triumph. "Success [for me] is just walking out there. I never expected to be here," she said. "Success is enjoying myself and sticking to my gameplan that my coach gives me, being disciplined, and that’s what I’m trying to do."
Wimbledon: A Stage Synonymous With Williams
Few players are as intertwined with Wimbledon as Serena Williams. She has captured seven of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles on these lawns. Alongside her sister Venus, she dominated the tournament for nearly two decades. Between 2000 and 2016, the Williams sisters appeared in all but four singles finals at SW19, amassing 12 singles titles, seven for Serena, five for Venus.
Their dominance extended to doubles. Together, the sisters have claimed six Wimbledon women’s doubles titles, forming one of the most formidable partnerships in the event’s history.
This year, both sisters will reunite on the doubles court. Their chemistry, built over years of shared practice and competition, remains a hallmark of their play.
Receiving a Wimbledon wildcard is a rare honor, and Williams knows it. "I can name probably like a handful of people. I happened to be one of them," she said. "I thought, ‘I should really take this opportunity.’ Who knows if I’ll ever [have it again]."
Maya Joint. Williams’ first-round opponent, is 24 years younger. The generational gap adds intrigue, but for Williams, the real achievement is simply stepping onto Centre Court again.
Her priorities have shifted. Enjoyment and discipline top her list, a new outlook shaped by her time away from the sport.
Williams’ return has sparked excitement, not just for the prospect of another deep run, but for what it symbolizes: a rare, celebrated comeback by one of tennis’s all-time greats. She remains a force at Wimbledon, both in singles and alongside Venus in their legendary doubles partnership.
