After weeks of speculation, Serena Williams has finally been confirmed to play in the singles draw at Wimbledon after receiving a wildcard.
Williams returned to action this month in the doubles, playing Queen’s and the Berlin Open alongside Victoria Mboko and Karolina Muchova, but she is yet to play a singles match.
However, after receiving a singles wildcard, Williams will pull double duty alongside reigniting her doubles partnership with Venus Williams.
The star’s first singles match in nearly four years will come in the first round of Wimbledon, and two of Williams’ great rivals throughout the year fear she could be in for a rude awakening.
Williams’ last match in singles came at the US Open in 2022, when she was defeated in the third round by Ajla Tomljanović, so there will definitely be teething problems for the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Angelique Kerber, who returned to the court after having a baby at the age of 36, does not think it will be immediately easy for Williams in the singles.
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Speaking to BBC Sport, the three-time Grand Slam champion said: “It’s easier to see on TV how the girls are playing and say ‘OK I can still do it’. You know you can do it – especially Serena because she was the greatest.
“But working every day, going to the practice courts, going to the gym, sweating, is what you have to do.”
Kerber and Williams forged a brilliant rivalry when they were both on the WTA Tour, meeting nine times between 2007 and 2018. Williams leads their head-to-head with six victories.
Another player who met Williams several times throughout her career Lindsay Davenport, has also suggested it might be difficult for the star to adapt to the top level.
In the same BBC Sport interview, she said: “Serena’s mindset has always been to be the best and not settle for mediocrity. I think we have to assume that she’s coming back because she feels she’s in a position where she can make an impact immediately in women’s tennis.
“We’ve all seen her. She looks in incredible shape and better shape than arguably when she left the sport. But we have got to be a little graceful in the time we give her until she hits her peak.”
The American great will find out her fate at Wimbledon, in both singles and doubles, when the draw is made on Friday, 26th June. As a wildcard, the star can be drawn against any of the top seeds at the Grand Slam, so she could play any member of the top 10 first.
The post Serena Williams given warning from former rival after receiving Wimbledon singles wildcard appeared first on Tennis365.
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