Serena Williams will soon grace the tennis court again, leaving many fans in awe. Williams herself shares this disbelief. “When I evolved, I never thought I’d come back,” she remarked during her inaugural Wimbledon press conference.
The tennis icon, boasting 23 Grand Slam singles titles, re-entered the professional arena after a hiatus post the 2022 US Open. She teamed up with Victoria Mboko for doubles at the HSBC Championships on June 9. Just a week later, she paired with Karolina Muchova for the doubles draw at the Berlin Tennis Open. Now, at 44, Williams prepares to make her singles comeback as a wild card at Wimbledon next week.
“I had until Monday to decide,” Williams mentioned in her press conference. “I think it was, like, Sunday because I just wasn’t sure up until then. Honestly, I’m still not even sure, but we’ll see.”
Addressing her anticipations, Williams revealed, “I expect to be nervous. I was also nervous every single match I ever played in my life. I think that showed the passion and the love and the care that I cared about my job. Whether it was the first round or the second round or the finals, I’ve always had some nerves. But then I just dust ’em off, then I move on.”
Williams spoke candidly about her internal debate regarding the Wimbledon wild card. “What’s wrong with me, Serena? What are you thinking? Are you nuts?” she questioned herself. Ultimately, the allure of this chance was too significant to forgo, acknowledging it might not arise again.
Williams’s impressive record includes seven Wimbledon singles titles, the latest secured in 2016. She will face Australia’s Maya Joint, 20, on Tuesday, June 30. Alongside singles, she partners with her sister, Venus Williams, 46, in doubles. The duo has achieved 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, with six at Wimbledon.