Serena Williams Confirms Wimbledon Return

Topline

Serena Williams will play Wimbledon beginning later this month, the 40-year-old announced in an Instagram post Tuesday morning, her first tournament in a year as she remains one victory shy of the all-time Grand Slam singles record.

Key Facts

Williams wrote “see you there” at “SW19,” a common nickname for the tournament referring to the All England Club’s postal code in London.

Williams last played June 29, 2021 at Wimbledon when she was forced to retire from her first-round match due to injury.

Williams, now the 1,208th-ranked player in the world, was not included in Wimbledon’s preliminary entry list, but will likely compete as a wild card as she vies for her eighth Wimbledon title.

Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles—one short of the record held by Australian Margaret Court.

Big Number

$260 million. That’s how much Williams is worth, according to Forbes’ calculations, thanks to her $94 million in career winnings on the court, endorsements and investments. Williams’ $45.3 million in earnings last year placed her No. 33 on Forbes’ “World’s Highest Paid Athletes” list.

Tangent

Wimbledon stoked controversy earlier this year when the tournament’s organizers announced in April it would not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The move was criticized by many of the top players, and the WTA and ATP in turn stripped ranking points from the tournament last month.

Further Reading

Naomi Osaka And Serena Williams Make A Fortune But Remain Outliers Among The Highest-Paid Athletes (Forbes)