Serena Williams will face Australia's Maya Joint in the first round of Wimbledon, marking her return to singles competition after four years of retirement. The match pits two players born nearly 25 years apart: Williams, 44, and Joint, 20.
Williams' Path and Joint's Struggles
Joint, a talented 20-year-old who won Eastbourne last year, has struggled badly this season, compiling a 3-15 record. The winner of their first-round match could face the in-form Filipino 25th seed, Alexandra Eala. A meeting with Iga Swiatek, the third seed and defending champion, awaits in round three, with the Pole opening her title defence against Taylor Townsend. Williams and Swiatek are drawn in the bottom half of the draw, headed by Elena Rybakina.
Williams has not competed in singles since she officially retired at the US Open in 2022. Speculation about her comeback grew since December, when she reappeared in the drug testing pool. She first returned in doubles at Queen's Club this month, and on Sunday, Wimbledon awarded her the final wildcard into the women's singles draw at the eleventh hour. Williams also received a women's doubles wildcard with her sister Venus; the pair have won the Wimbledon doubles title six times. Serena is a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion and a 23-time grand slam singles champion.
Tough Draws for British Players
British players Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have been dealt difficult paths. Draper, who competes in the Eastbourne semi-final later Friday, faces a nightmare opener against sixth seed Taylor Fritz. The American, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, plays his best tennis on grass and has reached finals in Stuttgart and Halle this month. Draper has fallen from No. 4 to No. 160 in the rankings after an injury-ravaged year.
Raducanu, the women's 30th seed, is managing an injury niggle in the buildup. She starts against Antonia Ruzic but faces a potential second-round match against former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, the highest-ranked unseeded player. Raducanu is projected to meet world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round for a second consecutive year. Sabalenka opens against Teodora Kostovic, with fourth seed Jessica Pegula in her half.
Men's Draw: Djokovic in Sinner's Half
In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic has been drawn into Jannik Sinner's half as he chases an unprecedented 25th grand slam singles title. Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, opens against China's Wu Yibing. In round two, he could face a slumping Stefanos Tsitsipas, currently ranked No. 88; the two have met in two grand slam finals. Sinner, defending champion, begins against Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, a month after his shocking collapse in the second round of the French Open. Third seed Félix Auger-Aliassime of Canada is the highest-ranked player in Sinner's half. French Open champion Alexander Zverev (second seed) and Ben Shelton (fourth seed) head the wide-open bottom half.
British men's No. 1 Cameron Norrie, the 26th seed, starts against American qualifier Michael Zheng, with a potential third-round match against Auger-Aliassime looming.
