Serena Williams makes her long-awaited return to Wimbledon this week, receiving wild cards for both singles and doubles competition. The 44-year-old 23-time major champion hasn't played at the All England Club since 2022, when she evolved away from tennis after the US Open. Her comeback began earlier this month at Queen's Club, where she and Victoria Mboko won their opening doubles match before Mboko's injury ended their run.

Williams opens Tuesday against Maya Joint, a 20-year-old Australian ranked No. 53 making just her second Wimbledon main draw appearance. A seven-time singles champion at SW19, Williams could face No. 29 seed Alexandra Eala in round two if she advances. The potential third-round clash with defending champion Iga Swiatek looms as the biggest early test for the returning legend.

In doubles, Serena Williams teams with older sister Venus Williams (46) against Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio on Thursday or Friday. The sisters have captured 14 major doubles titles together, including six at Wimbledon. Their potential path includes No. 9 seeds Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs, followed by No. 5 seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.

Williams graded her Queen's Club performance a C-, acknowledging room for improvement despite flashes of power. After falling in Berlin doubles with Karolina Muchova, she opted to train at the All England Club rather than play another warm-up event. Her experience on grass and history at this venue give her advantages over younger opponents, though four years away from major competition presents real challenges.