Serena Williams is set to make her singles return at Wimbledon against Maya Joint in the first round. Williams, a seven-time women’s champion at the All England Club, received a wildcard entry. Her last competitive singles match was at the US Open in 2022.
Joint, who is 20 years old, experienced a first-round exit in her main-draw debut at Wimbledon last year. She has secured only one victory in her last 14 matches.
Meanwhile, British number one Emma Raducanu, seeded 30th, is scheduled to compete against Antonia Ruzic of Croatia. There are concerns regarding Raducanu’s fitness after she did not participate in practice due to a shin injury. Raducanu could potentially meet top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, mirroring their encounter at Wimbledon last year.
Men’s and Women’s Draws Unveiled
In the men’s draw, Britain’s Jack Draper faces a challenging first-round match against American sixth seed Taylor Fritz. Draper is continuing his return from a series of injury issues and has reached the semi-finals at Eastbourne in his first tournament since April. Fritz reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year.
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic will begin his campaign for a 25th Grand Slam title against China’s Wu Yibing. World number one Jannik Sinner, who has not played competitively since his second-round exit at the French Open in May, starts against Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia as he aims to defend his Wimbledon title.
Reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek will start her title defence against American Taylor Townsend. Williams, as a wildcard, could have been drawn against a top player but instead faces Joint. If Williams advances, she might play 29th seed Alexandra Eala, with a potential third-round match against Swiatek.
Williams has played two doubles matches since starting her comeback this month and will also compete alongside her older sister Venus in the Wimbledon doubles event, which they have won six times.
British Players’ Prospects
A significant British contingent is participating in the singles draws, aided by numerous wildcards from the All England Club. The draw appears challenging for many home players, particularly Draper.
Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th in the men’s singles, is the highest-ranked British player among the six who gained direct entry by ranking. Norrie, a semi-finalist in 2022, will play American qualifier Michael Zheng and could face Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round.
Raducanu is the only other seeded British player, having climbed into the top 32 after reaching the Queen’s final earlier this month. She could potentially face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round, who first plays Harriet Dart. Katie Boulter, Francesca Jones, and Jan Choinski also secured their spots through their rankings.
Twelve British players received wildcards, comprising six men and six women. However, a wildcard was not provided for Davis Cup stalwart Dan Evans, who is expected to retire after the tournament. Evans had to go through qualifying but was eliminated in the second round.
Wildcard recipient Toby Samuel has a notable first-round match against French Open semi-finalist Jakub Mensik. Samuel lost to Australian world number eight Alex de Minaur in his Grand Slam main-draw debut last month. Three players, Ollie Tarvet, Billy Harris, and Max Basing, successfully qualified after winning three matches this week, marking the highest number of home players to qualify since 1999.
Other Key First-Round Matches
Other notable first-round matches in the women’s singles include Aryna Sabalenka [1] against Teodora Kostovic, Jessica Pegula [4] versus Darja Vidmanova, Magda Linette against Mirra Andreeva [5], Tamara Korpatsch facing Coco Gauff [7], and Lois Boisson playing Elena Rybakina [2].
In the men’s singles, Casper Ruud [11] will compete against Hubert Hurkacz, Marin Cilic against Daniil Medvedev [8], Roberto Bautista Agut versus Joao Fonseca [24], Stan Wawrinka [WC] against Matteo Berrettini, and Alexander Blockx versus Alexander Zverev [2].
Williams, at 44 years old, is making her return to singles after stepping away from the game. Her decision to return has been met with surprise by some, including Monica Puig, who noted Williams’s previous comments about easing back into singles play. Williams’s serve reached 120mph in her opening doubles match at Queen’s Club, a factor she may rely on heavily at Wimbledon.
Former world No 1 Lindsay Davenport observed that Williams appears to be in excellent physical condition, potentially better than when she last played. Davenport suggested that Williams’s return indicates a belief that she can make an immediate impact in women’s tennis. Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli expressed concerns about the challenges of returning at Williams’s age, particularly after two pregnancies, but also highlighted her strong performance in a doubles match at Queen’s.
Williams will return to singles action on Tuesday, presumably on Centre Court.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Daniel Fairbrother is the Senior Football Correspondent at Latest News UK, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with over a decade of reporting experience. He spent eight years on the football desk of a Yorkshire daily before moving into national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Leeds, he watches non-league football and runs a five-a-side league. “The best football stories are won in the week, not on the whistle.”