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Serena Williams is set to feature at this year’s Wimbledon after receiving the eighth and final ladies’ singles wild card.
After nearly four years away from singles competition, Serena is coming out of what many viewed as retirement, having previously joked that she “got tired of staying at home.”
Weeks ago, the tennis legend also sparked mixed reactions online when she introduced her new team through trading cards that appeared to have been made with AI.
Serena Williams Gets Wimbledon Singles Wild Card
Serena Williams left fans raving when she made a spectacular return to the doubles court earlier this month, but things have now escalated to the point that she will also make a singles comeback.
On Sunday, The All England Club announced that the seven-time Wimbledon champion will receive the eighth and final ladies’ singles wild card for the 2026 Wimbledon Championships, which start June 29.
The invitation marks a stunning return to Grand Slam singles action for the 44-year-old sports star after nearly four years away from professional tennis, per ESPN.
It also means Serena will feature in both singles and doubles after already accepting a wild card for the doubles competition with her older sister, Venus Williams.
Questions Remain Over Serena’s Singles Readiness
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Last week, Serena left many in awe when she won a doubles match with partner Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club. However, the pair later had to withdraw after Mboko sustained a knee injury in a singles match.
Serena then competed alongside Karolina Muchova in Berlin last week, but the pair lost in straight sets to Erin Routliffe and Giuliana Olmos.
Still, doubts about Serena’s competitiveness in singles remain in the minds of many fans because of the physical demands of that side of the sport.
All along, she had played coy about whether her competitive fire would pull her back into the singles draw.
Last week, when she was asked at a warm-up event in Berlin if she would consider a singles wild card, Serena laughed and joked with reporters: “That’s the question of the hour, right? I don’t know.”
Serena Williams Awaits Risky First-Round Draw
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If Serena wins a match at Wimbledon, she would become the fourth-oldest woman in the Open Era to win a singles match at a Major.
She played a competitive singles match at the U.S. Open in September 2022, bowing out in a thrilling and emotional third-round battle against Ajla Tomljanović.
At the time, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion famously rejected the word “retirement,” choosing instead to say she was “evolving” away from tennis to focus on her family and personal endeavors.
Her years away from the tour mean Serena will enter Wimbledon unseeded and could face a dangerous first-round opponent. She will learn her fate on Friday, when the singles draw for Wimbledon will be held.
It is a different story in the doubles rankings, where she is No. 593 following her victory last week.
Serena Williams Reveals Her Comeback Team
Earlier this month, Serena took to social media to reveal the team she will be working with on this new journey.
However, she added a twist by sharing their information through trading cards that appeared to have been made with AI.
One of the cards featured Serena dressed in a pink-themed superhero outfit adorned with a cape. The card also praised her as “The Greatest Of All Time,” while giving her an “overall score” of 100.
A second card listed Jarmere Jinkins as her “head coach,” with an overall score of 99, while another listed Derick Pierson as her fitness trainer, with an overall score of 97.
The last person to make the team is Rennae Stubbs, who serves as assistant coach.
Fans Split Over Serena’s AI-Style Cards
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However, the mother of two came under fire from some social media users for using AI-style cards.
“All that money and you couldn’t hire a graphic designer?” an X user wrote, while another added, “These definitely the sloppiest slops in the history of AI slops.”
“You are not the tennis goat. That is easily Djokovic. And Steffi Graf is the female Tennis GOAT,” another critic wrote.
“AI flyers and Mr. Serena is a BILLIONAIRE ????” someone else added.
However, others praised Serena for the effort while wishing her luck.
“Phenomenal Team! Way to go, Jamere,” a fan wrote, while another said, “Serena, that is a truly splendiferous idea! You should seriously consider turning them into actual trading cards, complete with a full set, special inserts, parallels, and limited-edition chase cards that could be marketed and sold to the public.”
The Serena Williams Set For Stunning Wimbledon Return first appeared on The Blast
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