Williams Sisters Return
Serena and Venus Williams Receive Wimbledon Doubles Wildcard, Set for Anticipated Reunion
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Key Points
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Wimbledon’s wildcard history is part of the Williams story: in 2000 and 2002, Serena—then seeded—entered through the wild-card system while Venus needed a wild card “to complete the pairing,” and they went on to win those doubles titles.
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A Williams win would also set an age-related record: if the sisters captured the doubles title again, it would “smash the record for the oldest combined age” of a Grand Slam-winning team—exceeding the 2023 Wimbledon-winning tandem of Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova (combined age 74 years, 303 days).
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On whether she’d take the remaining singles wildcard, Serena reacted to a reporter’s suggestion with a joke: “Oh my Gosh, there’s some left? … You think I’m ready for singles… I need to go to work,” then stayed noncommittal about a singles push.
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Serena said she was motivated to team up with Venus because of encouragement from her daughter Olympia: “My daughter Olympia told me that I should play with Venus… She’s always right… ‘Mom you should play with Venus.’”
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Serena’s Wimbledon absence is tied to specific match history: she had not played a professional match since the US Open in 2022 before returning at the HSBC/Queen’s Club, and she last played Wimbledon before this comeback in 2022, when she exited the first round to France’s Harmony Tan.
Serena Williams will return to Wimbledon for the first time since 2022, after the All England Club awarded her and sister Venus a wildcard entry into the women's doubles draw The Guardian. The Championships begin June 29, and the pair — who have won six Wimbledon doubles titles together — will enter as one of the most watched teams in the draw.
The reunion caps a busy comeback stretch for Serena, now 44. She returned to competitive tennis at Queen's Club on June 9 after nearly four years away AP News. Her doubles partner there, 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, suffered a left knee injury and the pair had to withdraw. Serena then traveled to Berlin, where she and Karolina Muchova lost their opening match 6-4, 6-4 Tennis Now.
Six Titles Together and a Record Within Reach
Serena and Venus have won the Wimbledon doubles six times — in 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, and most recently 2016 Olympics.com. They also won Olympic gold on the same grass courts in 2012. Their combined age entering this tournament is 90 — Serena is 44, Venus turns 46 on June 17.
If they win the title, they would break the record for the oldest combined age of a Grand Slam doubles-winning team WTA. The current record is 74 years and 303 days, set by Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova at Wimbledon in 2023. A Williams win would shatter that mark by more than 15 years.
Daughter Olympia Pushed Serena Back Onto the Court
Serena said the push to play with Venus came from an unlikely source — her 8-year-old daughter, Olympia. "My daughter Olympia told me that I should play with Venus," Serena said RBC-Ukraine. "She's always right… 'Mom you should play with Venus.'" The remark drew wide attention as a rare personal detail driving a major sports decision.
Serena had not played a professional match from the 2022 US Open until her Queen's Club return on June 9 — a gap of nearly four years The Guardian. Her last Wimbledon singles match was a first-round loss to France's Harmony Tan in 2022. The doubles wildcard marks her first confirmed appearance at SW19 since that defeat.
Wimbledon's Wildcard System Has Helped Them Before
This is not the first time the sisters have leaned on Wimbledon's wildcard process. In 2000 and 2002, Serena was seeded but Venus needed a wildcard to complete the pairing Hypebeast. They won the title both years. That history makes the current wildcard feel less like a favor and more like a familiar arrangement.
The All England Club has broader discretion than other Grand Slams when awarding wildcards. It can consider legacy, public interest, and grass-court credentials — not just current ranking newsy-today.com. This year, Wimbledon also gave a wildcard to Maja Chwalinska, 24, who reached the French Open final as a qualifier, showing the policy rewards recent high-level performance too The Guardian.
One Singles Wildcard Remains — and Serena Won't Rule It Out
Wimbledon has handed out 7 of its 8 women's singles wildcards, leaving one slot open Olympics.com. When a reporter pointed this out to Serena after her Berlin match, she laughed and said: "Oh my Gosh, there's some left? … You think I'm ready for singles… I need to go to work" Sky Sports. She stopped short of saying no.
Analysts note that grass is a demanding surface for singles movement, especially after a long break Tennis Now. Serena's Berlin showing — where observers said her serve was "not quite as imposing" as at Queen's — suggests she is still rebuilding match sharpness. For now, doubles remains her confirmed path back to Wimbledon.
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