Serena Williams trains at Wimbledon on Saturday ahead of her first competitive singles match in four years.Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
The eyes of the tennis world will be on one player this week when first-round play begins at Wimbledon, and it won’t be Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner or Aryna Sabalenka.
Serena Williams, the 44-year-old tennis legend, is making her highly anticipated comeback in singles Tuesday, taking on 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint.
World No. 87 Joint has only won two matches at Grand Slam tournaments, while Williams has 23 Grand Slam titles and is a seven-time Wimbledon champion in singles.
If Williams gets past Joint, she could face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.
On Sunday, Williams said she waited until just before the deadline to decide whether to play singles for the first time in four years. “I just wasn’t sure up until then. Honestly, I’m still not even sure, but we’ll see,” she said with a smile.
She knows Wimbledon holds wild cards for certain players and that her name would likely come up. “I thought I should really take this opportunity. Who knows if I’ll ever make it here again. This could be it.”
She acknowledged that she had doubts but added: “People live to be an athlete. I have this great opportunity to showcase what I do − what I do best, I suppose.”
Mboko embraces surprise offer to assist Serena Williams
She started her return to tennis earlier this month, playing doubles with 19-year-old Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko at the Queen’s Club grass-court tournament in London. At the time, Williams said she returned to the sport because she wanted her two young daughters to watch her play. “I had nothing better to do. I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?”
The duo won their opening match but had to withdraw after Mboko injured her knee in a singles match the next day.
Williams will also play doubles at Wimbledon with her 46-year-old sister, Venus, who has won the singles title five times.
Coming back to Wimbledon for practice sessions last week has been “kind of like riding a bike,” Williams told a news conference Sunday. But she admitted that nerves will kick in once she takes Centre Court on Tuesday evening.
“I expect to be nervous. I was also nervous every single match I ever played in my life. I think that showed the passion and the love and the care, that I cared about my job, whether it was the first round or the second round or the finals. I’ve always had some nerves. But then I just dust ‘em off, then I move on.”
Serena Williams celebrates her seventh and most recent Wimbledon singles title in 2016.GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images
Joint said she didn’t believe it at first when she found out she’d drawn Williams in the first round. “I was sitting down with my coach and I thought he was pranking me,” she told Australian television. She added that it is an honour to play someone of that stature. “If you told me 10 years ago that I’d be playing her first round at Wimbledon, that’s just crazy.”
Williams’s comeback has drawn admiration from other tennis stars.
“I told her that whatever happens, what she’s doing is truly inspirational for me personally − I’m sure for millions around the world,” 39-year-old Djokovic said Saturday. “I see her in the gym more than I have, I think, seen her when she was at her prime. It tells me that she really wants this to work out the best way possible. It’s admirable, honestly, the effort she’s putting in.”
Cathal Kelly: Serena's comeback ushers in phase of sports where fame outweighs athleticism
Sabalenka said she was excited to see Williams play. “It’s amazing what she’s doing. Also, it’s Serena Williams, everyone was talking about that. She’s bringing more eyes on tennis. It’s a good thing for tennis.”
On Sunday Williams was asked what message she hoped to convey with her return to the courts. She replied that there won’t be a complete message until long after her career has ended. “But as of now, I just think you have to believe in yourself and go for any dream, no matter how wild it may be,” she said.
Five Canadians will play in singles at Wimbledon this year, led by No. 3 seed Félix Auger-Aliassime. Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo will also compete on the men’s side, while Leylah Annie Fernandez, the No. 22 seed, and Bianca Andreescu are in the women’s draw. All but Diallo play their first matches Monday; he starts Tuesday.
Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani are seeded second in women’s doubles. Fernandez is also in doubles, with Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.