After nearly four years without playing a match, tennis superstar Serena Williams is set to make her comeback at Wimbledon. Her opponent has already been determined.
Serena Williams is also returning to the big stage of tennis in singles at the grass-court classic in Wimbledon: The 44-year-old will face Australia’s Maya Joint (world No. 53) in the first round. This was determined by Friday’s draw.
Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, had not played a singles match on the tour since the 2022 U.S. Open and has now received a wild card. Her name was the big draw in the draw—setting the stage for a comeback with enormous star power.
From a sporting perspective, the draw is anything but a walk in the park for the American icon. Joint is a tough, fast opponent who can be dangerous on grass with her early timing and flat shots. Last year, Joint advanced to the round of 16.
Wimbledon: High Pressure on Williams
Should Williams clear the first hurdle, she would next face the winner of the match between seeded player Alexandra Eala (29) and Renata Zarazúa. Williams could face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.
Emma Raducanu, seeded 30th, will open against Antonia Ruzic. However, the Briton skipped a training session on Thursday and is dealing with minor injury concerns.
Also lurking in her section is top seed Aryna Sabalenka—a potential matchup in the third round if Raducanu is fit in time.
Djokovic Takes on Sinner & Co.
In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic is chasing his 25th Grand Slam title. He begins his Wimbledon campaign against Wu Yibing. The Serbian is in the same half of the draw as defending champion Jannik Sinner, who faces Miomir Kecmanovic in his opening match.
Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final—the Spaniard is out this time due to injury, which noticeably shifts the balance of power in the draw.