Serena Williams is well and truly back on the WTA Tour.
Williams has shocked the tennis world by returning to the sport at the age of 44, almost four years after her last match.
But she has made a winning return in her doubles partnership with WTA rising star Victoria Mboko at Queen’s, for which she received a wildcard.
The tournament is ongoing, but much of the discussion around the veteran has already turned to a potential Wimbledon singles appearance.
She’ll need another wildcard to play at the Grand Slam, and it’s already clear that Williams deserves one above any British player.
Realistically, how far do you expect Serena Williams to go at Wimbledon if she plays?
Serena Williams deserves a Wimbledon wildcard
The up-and-coming British players certainly deserve their time to showcase their abilities, with many working hard behind the scenes in order to land a coveted Wimbledon wildcard.
But no British player comes close to what Williams has achieved in her career, with her previous success alone arguably enough to warrant a wildcard this year.
Among her phenomenal achievements are 23 Grand Slam singles titles, along with 14 in doubles and two in mixed doubles.
Moreover, she has already proven with her return at Queen’s just how much of a superstar and fan favorite she is, with tennis fans arguably more eager to see Williams play at Wimbledon than any other player, either female or male.
They turned out in huge numbers to watch her play with Mboko at the Andy Murray Arena, and that incidentally should already have Wimbledon organizers thinking about the possibilities a wildcard would create.
She is clearly a box-office player and draws huge crowds wherever she goes, with ticket sales certain to go through the roof if she is confirmed for the prestigious event.
So while many British players would understandably feel hard done by to miss out on a wildcard at the expense of Williams, it is very much a possibility at the All England Club, and rightfully so.
She does, of course, also have an outstanding history at Wimbledon which should work in her favor, having lifted the trophy seven times.
There are, however, a limited number of wildcards on offer, and she might not only need to battle British players for one.
Remarkably, her sister Venus Williams could also be in a fight for a wildcard at SW19, while Maja Chwalinska must surely be in the conversation after her dream run to the French Open final.
What is your favorite memory of Serena Williams?
She’s back trying to make more memories…
Patrick Mouratoglou asks question of Serena Williams as she returns to tennis
Of course, going against Williams in that regard will likely be her ability on the court, as it remains to be seen what level she can produce in singles.
She’s only made a comeback in doubles so far, and while it was a success, her former coach has asked a big question amid her return.
Speaking on his Instagram, Patrick Mouratoglou said: “Serena is back. Here are the challenges that she’ll have to face…
“The tricky part to me is always the movement. Tennis and movement, they are linked together. I always say the best players in the world are the best movers.
“You don’t lose your tennis, so I know Serena will come back with the same serve, the same forehand, the same backhand, everything the same.
“The question is, because she’s 44, she had two children, will she be able to move at the same pace in order to be as aggressive as she wants, in order to defend when she needs to?
“In doubles, you don’t really see that. So I don’t think we have to monitor anything.
“Maybe at the start it’s going to be difficult, but the more she’s going to play the doubles, the better she’s going to be. I’m not worried.”
While her first game back was unsurprisingly far from perfect, she did produce a handful of world-class shots reminiscent of the Williams of old.
But a lengthy singles run at Wimbledon is another challenge entirely, even with her stunning record at the iconic grass-court Grand Slam.
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