Why Serena Williams is continuing tennis return with Wimbledon singles wild-card entry

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Serena Williams made her return to competitive tennis in the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club and followed it up with an appearance at the Berlin Open. As it turns out, those efforts were setting the stage for a grand return.

Williams will shift from doubles to singles at Wimbledon, entering the field as a wild-card entry nearly four years after her most recent appearance in a grand slam event.

Sitting just one grand slam title short of Margaret Court's all-time record, winning Wimbledon might be the dream for Williams, but it certainly isn't the standard for a successful comeback. At 44, Williams is looking to prove she still belongs after so much time away.

Here's what you need to know about Williams' return to Wimbledon.

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Why Serena Williams is playing Wimbledon singles

Williams was already set to play doubles alongside her sister at Wimbledon, but after playing on grass in her recent doubles appearances, she evidently feels prepared to play singles at Wimbledon.

The tournament announced Sunday that Williams received the final wild-card bid to play singles:

While many wondered whether Williams' return was setting the stage for a Wimbledon singles appearance, the 44-year-old played coy about the possibility when asked recently about the chances of receiving a wild-card bid.

"Oh my gosh, there’s some left?" she asked. "Well, I better get to practice! You think I’m ready for singles? I need to get to work."

Williams believes she is ready for singles, but only time will tell whether she can compete at a high level nearly four full years after her last singles match.

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How many times has Serena Williams won Wimbledon?

Williams has won Wimbledon seven times, tied for third all-time among women and second all-time among women in the Open Era.

Williams' seven Wimbledon wins are tied for her career-best in a grand slam, as she won seven Australian Opens, six US Opens and three French Opens. Williams won Wimbledon titles in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016.

Along with seven singles titles, Williams has won doubles six times at Wimbledon.

Last time Serena Williams played tennis singles

Williams' most recent singles match came at the 2022 US Open, which was billed as her final tournament before retirement.

Williams' career seemingly came to an end with a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round in Queens, and that looked like it would remain true until her recent doubles return. Now, Williams is set to make her first singles appearance in any event since September of 2022.

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Serena Williams Wimbledon history

Williams has won Wimbledon seven times and reached the final 11 times overall. Here's a complete look at her track record in the prestigious tournament:

YearResult1998Lost in third round1999Did not participate2000Lost in semifinals2001Lost in quarterfinals2002Won title2003Won title2004Lost in final2005Lost in third round2006Did not participate2007Lost in quarterfinals2008Lost in final2009Won title2010Won title2011Lost in fourth round2012Won title2013Lost in fourth round2014Lost in third round2015Won title2016Won title2017Did not participate2018Lost in final2019Lost in final2021Lost in first round2022Lost in first round

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