Serena Williams is set to make her singles comeback at Wimbledon against Australian Maya Joint in the first round. Williams, a seven-time women’s champion at the All England Club, received a wildcard entry to restart her singles career. She has not competed in singles since the US Open in 2022.
Joint, who is 20 years old, experienced a first-round exit in her Wimbledon main-draw debut last year. Her recent form includes winning only one of her last 14 matches.
The return of Williams, a 23-time singles Grand Slam champion, has generated significant interest. As a wildcard entrant, there was much speculation about her potential opponent, ranging from top-ranked players to those outside the top 100.
Facing Joint is considered a match that Williams could potentially win. If she advances, Williams might play against 29th seed Alexandra Eala from the Philippines, with a possible third-round encounter against Iga Swiatek.
Williams has participated in two doubles matches since her comeback began this month. She is also scheduled to play alongside her older sister, Venus Williams, in the Wimbledon doubles event, a title they have won six times.
Emma Raducanu, the British number one and seeded 30th, is scheduled to begin her campaign against Antonia Ruzic of Croatia. However, there are concerns regarding Raducanu’s fitness after she did not practice due to a shin injury. Raducanu could potentially face top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, a repeat of their match at Wimbledon last year.
In the men’s draw, Britain’s Jack Draper faces a challenging first-round match against American sixth seed Taylor Fritz. Draper is continuing his return following a series of injury issues and has reached the semi-finals at Eastbourne in his first tournament since April. His coaching team now includes Andy Murray.
Novak Djokovic, a seven-time champion, will start his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title against Wu Yibing of China.
World number one Jannik Sinner, who has not played since his second-round exit at the French Open in May, will start his title defense against Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia. However, Carlos Alcaraz, a close rival, is not participating in the tournament as he recovers from a wrist injury.
Reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek will begin her title defense against American Taylor Townsend.
The women’s draw ceremony at the All England Club saw considerable anticipation surrounding Williams’ placement. She appeared midway through the draw, in a section that also includes Swiatek.
Williams’ return to singles action was confirmed after much speculation. Her comeback was described as one of the worst-kept secrets in tennis, with her rejoining the anti-doping pool last December and working with coach Rennae Stubbs.
Her powerful serve was evident in a doubles comeback match alongside Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club. While singles play presents a different challenge, it would not be surprising if she becomes the oldest woman to win a singles match at Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 2004.
Former world number one Andy Roddick commented on Williams’ confidence, suggesting that her decision to return at Wimbledon indicates a high level of self-belief. Fellow American Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport also noted that Williams would only return if she felt she could make an immediate impact, despite the challenges of grass courts and age.
Since Williams won the 2016 title against Germany’s Angelique Kerber, there have been eight different first-time Wimbledon champions, highlighting the depth in women’s tennis. Players like Naomi Osaka, Sabalenka, Swiatek, Gauff, Rybakina, and Ash Barty have won multiple Grand Slam titles in the past decade.
The last six Grand Slams have been won by six different players. While Aryna Sabalenka has been ranked world number one since October 2024, her form has shown vulnerability, including a collapse in the French Open quarter-finals and a significant loss in Berlin.
Sabalenka’s emotional control will be tested at Wimbledon, where she is considered a favorite.
The British contingent in the singles draws includes a significant number of wildcards from the All England Club. The draw appears challenging for the home players, particularly for Draper.
Draper, who is 24 years old, would have likely preferred an easier start than facing Fritz, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year. Despite dropping outside the top 100, Draper secured his place in the draw because he was ranked within the top 100 when the entry list closed six weeks prior to the Championships.
Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th in the men’s singles, is the highest-ranked Briton among the six players who gained direct entry through their ranking. Norrie, a semi-finalist in 2022, will start against American qualifier Michael Zheng and could face Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round.
Raducanu is the only other home seed, having climbed into the top 32 after reaching the Queen’s final earlier this month. She could potentially face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round, who plays Harriet Dart first, with Sabalenka as a potential later opponent.
Katie Boulter, Francesca Jones, and Jan Choinski also secured their spots based on ranking. Twelve Britons received wildcards, with six men and six women. However, Davis Cup stalwart Dan Evans, who is set to retire after the tournament, did not receive one and was eliminated in the second round of qualifying.
Three players, Ollie Tarvet, Billy Harris, and Max Basing, successfully qualified after winning three matches this week, marking the highest number of home players to qualify since 1999.
Other notable first-round matches in the women’s singles include Aryna Sabalenka against Teodora Kostovic, Jessica Pegula against Darja Vidmanova, Magda Linette against Mirra Andreeva, Tamara Korpatsch against Coco Gauff, and Lois Boisson against Elena Rybakina.
In the men’s singles, key first-round matches include Casper Ruud against Hubert Hurkacz, Marin Cilic against Daniil Medvedev, Roberto Bautista Agut against Joao Fonseca, Stan Wawrinka against Matteo Berrettini, and Alexander Blockx against Alexander Zverev.
The tournament is scheduled to run from June 29 to July 12 at the All England Club.
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Source: bbc.com
Arjun Sharma
Sports Reporter