Serena Williams is set to make her long-awaited return to singles tennis at Wimbledon, facing Australia’s Maja Joint—an encounter between two players separated by nearly 25 years in age. The match marks Williams’ first singles competition since her retirement from professional tennis following the 2022 US Open.
Joint, a promising 20-year-old who secured the title at Eastbourne last year, has struggled significantly this season, posting a dismal 3-15 record in 2026. The winner of this first-round match may subsequently contend with the rising Filipino talent, 25th seed Alexandra Eala.
Should Williams advance, a potential third-round clash with Iga Swiatek, the third seed and defending champion, looms large. Swiatek will commence her title defense against Taylor Townsend, as they are drawn in the bottom half of the bracket, led by Elena Rybakina.
Having not competed in singles since her retirement, Williams reemerged in the drug testing pool last December, prompting speculation about her return. Earlier this month, she made her comeback in doubles at Queen’s and was awarded the final wildcard for the women’s singles draw.
In addition to her singles wildcard, Williams has also secured a spot in the women’s doubles, partnering with her sister Venus—an event they have claimed victory in six times. Williams boasts an impressive record of seven Wimbledon singles titles and a total of 23 Grand Slam singles championships.
Meanwhile, British players Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper face formidable challenges in their respective draws. Draper has drawn a difficult opener against sixth seed Taylor Fritz, a semi-finalist from last year who excels on grass. Currently ranked No. 160 after a year plagued by injuries, Draper is set to compete in the semi-finals of Eastbourne later today.
Raducanu, seeded 30th among the women, is coping with an injury as she prepares for her match against Antonia Ruzic. A potential second-round matchup against former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko awaits her, and she is projected to encounter world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, replicating last year’s scenario.
Sabalenka, the tournament’s top seed, will begin her campaign against Teodora Kostovic, while the fourth seed, Jessica Pegula, is also placed in her half of the draw.
In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic finds himself in Jannik Sinner’s half as he aims for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title. Djokovic, a seven-time champion at Wimbledon, will kick off his tournament against China’s Wu Yibing and could face a struggling Stefanos Tsitsipas in round two, who is currently ranked No. 88. Djokovic and Tsitsipas have previously met in two Grand Slam finals.
Following a surprising exit in the second round of the French Open, world No. 1 Sinner begins his title defense against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic. Felix Auger-Aliassime, the third seed, stands as the highest-ranked player in his half of the draw, while the second-seeded Alexander Zverev and fourth seed Ben Shelton lead the open bottom half.
British No. 1 Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th, will start his tournament against American qualifier Michael Zheng, with a potential third-round match against Auger-Aliassime on the horizon.
