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Serena return exciting, say Wimbledon, ahead of wildcard decision
The 44-year-old returned to court for the first time in nearly four years this week as she partnered Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in the doubles at the WTA event at Queen's Club
- PUBLISHED: Thu 11 Jun 2026, 7:20 PM
Wimbledon organisers said the return of 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams to the sport was "exciting" as speculation mounts that the American could be given a wildcard for this year's championships.
The 44-year-old returned to court for the first time in nearly four years this week as she partnered Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in the doubles at the WTA event at Queen's Club.
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Williams, who has seven Wimbledon singles titles, has not confirmed she will return to the All England Club but looks set to be given a wildcard, most likely in the doubles.
"I guess what I can say is we can all see how much excitement Serena being back on a tennis court, and particularly back on a grass court, has created," Sally Bolton, the All England Club's chief executive, said on Thursday.
"And so one can only imagine what that would be like if it was the Championship. The wild card committee will make their decisions formally next week and we'll be communicating those early next week.
"She has certainly created a fantastic buzz, and that is exciting for the sport."
Williams won her first singles title at Wimbledon in 2002 and her most recent in 2016. She has also won six ladies doubles titles at the grass-court Slam.
"And as and when at the (wildcard) meeting next week, I'm sure it won't ignore her success at Wimbledon when making that decision," All England Club Chair Debbie Jevans said.
Wildcards are handed to players whose rankings do not merit a place in the main draw and are often handed to players representing the home nation, top players returning from injury lay-offs or those, such as Williams, with special credentials.
The announcement will be made on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon organisers have announced a record prize pot of £64.2 million ($85.74 million) for this year's championships although it may not be enough to placate leading players who are demanding a bigger share of Grand Slam revenue.
The prize fund is 20% more than last year with singles champions set to pocket £3.6 million, up from £3 million.
It is the biggest annual increase in the tournament's history but comes at a time of escalating demands by players who argue that the four Grand Slams distribute a smaller share of total revenues than other ATP and WTA events.
Some players restricted media appearances at the recent French Open and even threatened a future boycott.
Wimbledon chair Debbie Jevans said she had discussed prize money with Larry Scott, who is representing several leading players in their pay demands, at the French Open.
Players had called for a total Wimbledon prize pot of around £70 million which would bring the ratio closer to the 22% that top ATP and WTA events redistribute to the players, compared to an estimated 15% in the Grand Slams.
"We've had dialogue, and we've had e-mail exchanges, and we met with (Scott) in Paris," Jevans told reporters at Wimbledon's pre-tournament press conference on Thursday.
"And after the meeting in Paris, I think you've all read what was stated in the media, 71 million. I believe what we have done is right and appropriate so I would hope the players would welcome it. It's a significant amount of money."