Serena and Venus Williams to Compete in Wimbledon 2026 Women's Doubles

Serena and Venus Williams have been granted a wildcard to play together in the women's doubles at Wimbledon, marking their return to the prestigious tournament after a notable absence.

American tennis legends Serena Williams and Venus Williams are set to reunite on the court at Wimbledon, as both sisters have been granted a wildcard to compete in the women's doubles event. This marks their return to the tournament after a significant break.

While neither sister has been awarded a wildcard for the singles draw, one spot remains available for the singles event. Serena, aged 44, recently made her comeback at the Queen's tournament, four years after many believed she had played her final match at the 2022 US Open.

Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion with seven of those titles coming from Wimbledon, is currently participating in the doubles event in Berlin alongside Karolina Muchova. She aims to further her comeback on the Grand Slam stage as she teams up with her sister Venus at the All England Club.

Venus, who is 45 years old and a five-time Wimbledon singles champion, has faced challenges this season, losing all seven of her singles matches. However, she did achieve success in doubles, winning a match with Britain's Katie Boulter at the Madrid Open earlier in April.

In a notable development, former British number one Dan Evans has not received a wildcard for the men's singles main draw, which will mark the end of his career at 36 years old. Meanwhile, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who is also set to retire at the end of the season, has been awarded a spot in the draw, alongside Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov.

Maja Chwalinska, who was the runner-up at the French Open, has received a wildcard for the women's singles as a reward for her strong performance at Roland Garros. Six British players, including Cameron Norrie, Emma Raducanu, and Katie Boulter, have qualified for direct entry into the singles draws due to their rankings.

Wildcards for the men's singles were granted to Grigor Dimitrov, Jacob Fearnley, Arthur Fery, Jack Pinnington Jones, Toby Samuel, and Stan Wawrinka. In the women's draw, wildcards were awarded to Maja Chwalinska, Harriet Dart, Alicia Dudeney, Hannah Klugman, Mika Stojsavljevic, Katie Swan, and Mimi Xu.

The Wimbledon committee selects wildcards based on past performance at the tournament or to enhance British interest. The impact of the Williams sisters on tennis is profound, having changed the sport's landscape since their emergence as talented teenagers in the 1990s.

Together, they have amassed 30 Grand Slam singles titles, including 12 victories at Wimbledon, and have won six women's doubles titles at the tournament, with their first in 2000 and the most recent in 2016. Their upcoming appearance marks a significant reunion on a major stage after they last played together at the 2022 US Open, which was Serena's final tournament before stepping away from the sport.

As Venus approaches her 46th birthday, she continues to play selectively on the tour, including her participation at this year's Australian Open where she received a wildcard for singles. Notably, she became the second oldest woman to win a WTA Tour-level singles match by defeating 23-year-old Peyton Stearns at the Washington Open last year.

Commenting on Serena's comeback, Venus expressed confidence, stating that she was 'not worried' about how her sister would perform. She noted, 'What I will tell you is she will not hit for four months then grab her racquet and come out and hit a tonne out of the ball - it's incredible. The quality of her stroke is obviously there. She is a natural - she is very tenacious.'

Dan Evans, who has been overlooked for a wildcard, expressed disappointment, suggesting it would have been a 'classy gesture' to receive one for the Queen's singles main draw. He emphasized his professionalism, stating, 'I think what some people have forgotten is I'm a professional tennis player and I wouldn't be playing if I wasn't prepared or ready to play or fit to play.'

Evans has received a wildcard for the doubles event alongside 2023 Wimbledon boys' champion Henry Searle. Meanwhile, Wawrinka, who has never progressed past the Wimbledon quarter-finals, and Dimitrov, a 2014 semi-finalist, benefit from the wildcard allocation. Notably absent from the men's singles wildcard consideration are 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini, who could still qualify as the first alternate, along with 2022 finalist Nick Kyrgios and veteran player Gael Monfils, both of whom are also set to retire this season.