Wimbledon 2026: Serena Williams at Maya Joint match and return to tennis

The Williams sisters – who pair up here for the doubles again – are synonymous with Wimbledon.

For the 19-year-old, at least one Williams sister was in all but four singles finals at SW19. They won a total of 12 Wimbledon singles titles – seven for Serena and five for Venus – between 2000 and 2016. Older sister Venus won first. Younger sister Serena won more.

Together they dominated, winning six women’s doubles titles together. Two players who know each other inside out from years spent on the practice courts in Compton, California.

If you think of the Williams sisters roaming the grass in Wimbledon whites, two beautiful service moves, with athleticism, power and touch to touch the net.

As Serena said – it’s not every day Wimbledon holds a wildcard for someone.

“I can probably name like a handful of people. I happened to be one of them,” she says.

“I thought I should really take advantage of this opportunity. Who knows if I’ll be here again? It might happen.

“I was like, ‘What are you, Serena? What are you thinking? Are you mean?’ I have this great opportunity to show what I do best.

Will her age and what comes with it – being half a step slower from the corner of the court, conserving more energy as the match goes on – be too difficult to overcome?

Or will her aura, simply the feeling of being Serena Williams, be enough to at least get her through the opening round?

“Sometimes it’s hard not to feel a little nervous around Williams,” said David Quayle, Williams’ British hitting partner, who helped her prepare for her doubles comeback at Queen’s in early June.

“It’s a funny thing when you watch someone serve on television for years and suddenly that service comes to you.” He told BBC Sport in June.

“You struggle between appreciating some of those shots and playing them. She has such an aura.

“I’m starting to practice a little to see her on the other side of the network, but every day is special.”