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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Verri

Serena Williams's Wimbledon return confirmed with wildcard doubles spot

Serena Williams will make her Wimbledon return after being handed a wildcard into the women's doubles draw alongside sister Venus.

After 1,375 days away from the sport, 44-year-old Williams was back in professional action last week at Queen's alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.

The pair won their opening match but their run came to a premature end after Mboko suffered a serious knee injury while playing singles.

However, Williams felt confident enough in her return to put herself forward for Wimbledon and she will rekindle her legendary partnership with Venus.

The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside each other, including six Wimbledon titles. The most recent of those came in 2016.

They have been confirmed as one of seven partnerships to receive a wildcard into the women's doubles draw at SW19. British duo Katie Boulter and Heather Watson have also been given one.

Williams will play in Berlin this week when she partners Karolina Muchova, before turning her attention back to London.

There is still the possibility that Williams could also play in the singles at Wimbledon, almost four years on from her last match at the US Open in 2022.

Williams has not ruled out a singles return and one wildcard spot into the women's draw at Wimbledon has been left open.

In the men's doubles, Nick Kyrgios will partner Alexander Bublik after the pair were given a wildcard.

Dan Evans, who will retire after Wimbledon, has also received one to play alongside Henry Searle.

Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka have both been given places in the main draw of the men's singles, but Kyrgios and Evans were not included in that list.

There are still two more men's singles wildcards to be announced.

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