Serena Williams admitted she needed to convince herself to accept Wimbledon's final wild-card entry for singles competition. The 43-time Grand Slam champion had already committed to doubles with sister Venus when faced with the decision about playing singles at the All England Club.

Williams, 44, returns to Wimbledon singles for the first time since her 2022 first-round loss to Harmony Tan. She stepped away from tennis after the 2022 US Open, describing it as 'evolving' away from the sport rather than retiring. Her last Wimbledon singles appearance resulted in a defeat to the world No. 115.

Now she faces 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint on Centre Court Tuesday evening. Joint, ranked No. 87 after dropping from No. 53, represents the generational shift Williams confronts. The seven-time Wimbledon champion acknowledged her expectations have fundamentally changed.

Williams said she questioned her own thinking during the decision process, ultimately deciding the opportunity to compete again was 'pretty cool.' This comeback attempt comes two years after walking away from professional tennis.