London: Ranked a lowly 1,204 in the world and without a competitive singles match in 12 months, former World No. 1 Serena Williams will sweep into Wimbledon targeting what would be her greatest triumph. The seven-time champion at the All England Club will also be chasing down a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title. The odds have rarely been so stacked against the great American who can become the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon.
With her 41st birthday just three months away, Serena hasn’t played a singles tie on tour since limping out of Wimbledon in tears in the first round against Aliaksandra Sasnovich in 2021. The American star has been frustratingly marooned on 23 Slams since winning a seventh Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant.
Serena was runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2018 and 2019 as Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 majors remained out of touch.
“I didn’t retire. I just needed to heal physically, mentally. I had no plans. I just didn’t know when I would come back. I didn’t know how I would come back,” the 40-year-old Serena said Sunday.
Serena warmed up for Wimbledon by playing doubles with Ons Jabeur at Eastbourne. She starts her All England Club campaign against France’s Harmony Tan, ranked 113 and who is making her tournament debut. “I will just take it one match at a time. I haven’t set any goals. I just want to enjoy playing tennis again,” the former Champion said.
When Serena played her first Wimbledon in 1998, current World No. 1 Iga Swiatek was still three years away from being born. The 21-year-old Pole arrives at the tournament with a second French Open title secured and on a 35-match win streak. It is one better than Serena’s mark of 34 and Swiatek is now level with Venus Williams’ 35 straight victories in 2000 for the longest winning run by a woman in the 21st century.
“I saw Serena Friday, I was pretty overwhelmed,” said Swiatek who has six titles to her name in 2022. “Just seeing her around is great because she’s such a legend, there’s nobody that has done so much in tennis,” she added.
