Overview
- Wimbledon announced on Sunday that 44‑year‑old Serena Williams has received the final women's singles wildcard, confirming she will compete in both singles and doubles at the Championships.
- Williams has only played a small number of recent doubles matches — at Queen's (with Victoria Mboko) and in Berlin (with Karolína Muchová) — so her match fitness for singles remains an open question.
- Emma Raducanu withdrew from Nottingham and an offered Eastbourne wildcard to practise on the Wimbledon courts, and a live‑ranking result from Aryna Sabalenka's win over Nikola Bartunkova secured Raducanu a top‑32 seed.
- Tournament wildcards are discretionary entries given to returning stars or local players, and Wimbledon left the eighth women's singles slot open until Williams accepted, a move that directly affects potential early matchups in the June 28 draw.
- Beyond headlines, Williams's return will shape the tournament narrative and crowd interest while Raducanu's seeding reduces the chance she faces another top‑32 opponent before the third round, altering preparation and scheduling for both players.