Serena Williams Opens Up About Singles Return at Wimbledon

Serena Williams has shared her motivations behind stepping back into singles competition at Wimbledon.

The tennis great, 44, spoke to the media during a Sunday press conference (June 28) on the eve of the tournament. When discussing her decision, Williams highlighted the rarity of such opportunities at this point in her career.

"I thought I should really take this opportunity. Who knows if I'll ever make it here again. This could be it," she told reporters, via AP.

Williams described her internal deliberation, saying: "I was like, 'What's wrong with me, Serena? What are you thinking? Are you nuts? Like, you really should do this.'"

She went on to reflect on the appeal of competing at the highest level of her sport. "People live to be an athlete. I have this great opportunity to showcase what I do, what I do best, I suppose. Yeah, I think ultimately I was like that is pretty cool, so I should do it," Williams noted.

The legendary player will take the court on Tuesday (June 30) for her first Grand Slam singles match since 2022. Her opponent will be 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint. The encounter is slated as the third match on Centre Court, with play beginning around noon ET.

Joint responded enthusiastically to the matchup announcement, expressing her admiration for Williams. "I have so much respect for her. She was one of my idols growing up, I'm just really excited to have the opportunity to play against her…Serena is still an amazing player, so I'm sure it's going to be a difficult match but I also think that I have a chance to win," the young competitor said.

Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, recently attended a UFC event held at the White House on Donald Trump's 80th birthday, where he was among several celebrities and public figures in attendance. Following his appearance at the event, Ohanian issued a statement to the media.