Williams Accepts Wimbledon Singles Wild Card at Age 44

Serena Williams accepted a last-minute singles wild card for Wimbledon after talking herself into the decision at age 44. The All England club offered the entry after Williams had already committed to doubles. She said the choice came down to recognizing a rare chance.

“I thought I should really take this opportunity.

Who knows if I’ll ever make it here again. This could be it,” Williams said Sunday at a press conference. She described giving herself a direct pep talk: “I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me, Serena? Like you really should do this.’” Williams added that she weighed the chance to showcase her game before ultimately deciding the opportunity was worth taking.

Her opening singles match will be played on the main stadium court Tuesday evening against the 20-year-old Australian ranked No. 87. Williams last competed in singles at the tournament in 2022, when she lost in the first round. She has not played a singles match at any Grand Slam since losing in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open.

said her outlook for the event differs from earlier in her career. “In general my expectations are definitely different for the first time in my career,” she said. She noted she had until Monday to decide and remained uncertain even after accepting the entry. “I’m still not even sure, but we’ll see,” Williams said.