Wimbledon: Serena Williams set for Grand Slam return, to feature alongside sister Venus in doubles
London, June 16
Serena Williams is set to return to Wimbledon Championships 2026 after four years, teaming up with her sister Venus Williams in the women's doubles event.
The six-time Wimbledon doubles champions have been awarded a wild card entry into the 2026 edition of the tournament, marking their first appearance together since the 2022 US Open, according to WTA.
Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam women's doubles titles together, the second-highest tally in the Open Era, behind the 20 major titles claimed by Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.
Serena Williams, who stepped away from tennis after the 2022 US Open, returned to professional action last week at Queen's Club, partnering with Victoria Mboko. The duo won their opening match, but Mboko later withdrew due to an injury that will also rule her out of Wimbledon. Williams is also competing in doubles this week in Berlin alongside Karolina Muchova.
Meanwhile, Venus Williams, who made her comeback to the tour last July after a 16-month break, is currently ranked No. 119 in doubles. Her best result since returning came at last year's US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals partnering Leylah Fernandez.
The six remaining wild cards in the women's doubles draw have been allocated to all-British pairings: Katie Boulter/Heather Watson, Madeleine Brooks/Amelia Rajecki, Jodie Burrage/Mika Stojsavljevic, Freya Christie/Eden Silva, Harriet Dart/Maia Lumsden, and Alicia Dudeney/Mimi Xu.
Maja Chwalinska, on the other hand, has been awarded a singles wild card for Wimbledon, where she headlines the list of recipients.
The 24-year-old from Poland was ranked No. 114 when the entry list was confirmed but rose to No. 21 after an impressive run from qualifying to the Roland Garros final. She will feature in the Wimbledon main draw for the second time, having previously qualified in 2022 and reached the second round.
Harriet Dart, Alicia Dudeney, Hannah Klugman, Mika Stojsavljevic, Katie Swan and Mimi Xu have been awarded six singles wild cards for Wimbledon, with the final spot to be confirmed later.
Dart, 29, will make her eighth Wimbledon main-draw appearance and has previously reached the third round twice, while Swan, 27, is set for her seventh appearance in the women's singles draw and will aim to surpass her best result of a second-round finish in 2018.
Dudeney, 23, a former University of Florida player, recently secured her first Top 100 win against Yulia Putintseva in Nottingham qualifying and is set for her WTA main-draw debut there as a lucky loser, with Wimbledon marking her Grand Slam main-draw debut.
Teenagers Klugman, Stojsavljevic and Xu will all make their second consecutive Wimbledon main-draw appearances. Klugman, 17 and a former junior world No. 1, recently claimed her first Top 100 victory over Anastasia Zakharova in Nottingham qualifying before entering the main draw as a lucky loser.
Stojsavljevic, the 2024 US Open girls' singles champion, also recorded a notable win over top-60 player Talia Gibson in Billie Jean King Cup action earlier this year.
Elsewhere, qualifying wild cards have been awarded to Brits Daniella Britton, Jodie Burrage and Yuriko Lily Miyazaki, along with Slovakia's Mia Pohankova, last year's girls' singles champion.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Happy to see Serena returning after four years. But honestly, I think wild cards should go to younger players who need the exposure. Serena and Venus have had their time—let's give the next generation a chance. Just my two cents. 🤷♂️
Yeh, this is pure nostalgia! Remember when they used to dominate doubles? Serena's return is a big boost for women's tennis. And Venus still fighting at 44—true inspiration for all of us. Shabaash! 👏🇮🇳
It's great that they got a wild card, but I'm more excited about the British youngsters getting chances. Harriet Dart and those teenagers—Klugman, Stojsavljevic—they're the future. Hope Wimbledon focuses on developing talent, not just past glory.
Honestly, I'd rather see them play singles, but Serena's return is still top-notch. And Maja Chwalinska's story is incredible—from No. 114 to Roland Garros final. That's the kind of underdog tale we need. Wimbledon is going to be lit this year! 🎾✨
Serena and Venus together again—this is what Wimbledon is all about. The history, the rivalry, the sisterhood. I'm booking my tickets already. But I hope they win a match or two to make it worthwhile. Let's go! 🏆
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.