After a year without playing, it was through an Instagram post published at midday, Tuesday, June 14, that Serena Williams hinted at her return to competition. Beneath a photo of his shoes on the grass is this caption written by the American tennis star: “SW and SW19 [the postcode of Wimbledon]. It’s a date. 2022 See you there. Let’s Go
The organizers of the London tournament (June 27-July 10) confirmed a few hours later that they had granted her an invitation (wild-card) so that she could line up in the Grand Slam tournament which crowned her seven times. The last match of the former world number one, aged 40, dates back to the first round of the 2021 edition where she had to abandon due to a thigh injury.
Since then, it has fallen to 1,208th place in the world rankings. Her last title in London dates back to 2016, but she had reached the final in 2018 and 2019.
Before Wimbledon, the youngest of the Williams sisters will previously play doubles in the Eastbourne grass tournament, associated with the Tunisian Ons Jabeur (4th in the world in singles), according to the organizers of this preparatory tournament for the London Grand Slam. “I am very happy to return [to Eastbourne] in England and to be back on grass, a surface that has been so successful for me during my career,” said the American in a press release from the English Tennis Federation.
Serena Williams is chasing a 24th Grand Slam trophy since winning the Australian Open in 2017.
