# Serena Williams returns to Grand Slam singles tennis at Wimbledon 2026, four years after retirement
> Williams, 44, accepted a wild card into the 2026 Wimbledon women's singles draw and faces 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the first round on June 30, marking her first Grand Slam singles appearance since the 2022 US Open where she announced she would step away from the sport; she and Venus also entered doubles together

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-06-30 · heads: 장기전, 삶은 어떻게 바뀌는가 · 3 takes · 1 lenses · 1 regions

## Summary

Serena Williams, 44, returned to Grand Slam singles tennis at Wimbledon on June 30, 2026, facing 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in the first round. Williams accepted a wild card for the Championships, her first singles Grand Slam entry since the 2022 US Open, where a first-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic preceded her announcement that she was stepping away from the sport. She also entered the women's doubles draw alongside Venus Williams, reuniting the pair on the grass that gave them 14 Grand Slam titles together.

## Why it matters

Williams' return tests whether the sport's most decorated active player by majors, who has continued training since 2022, can compete at the highest level at 44, an age with no precedent in women's Grand Slam singles. The match attracted the widest non-World Cup sports audience of the summer.

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### unlabelled
- **ESPN** (United States, en) — ESPN detailed Williams' comeback arc: a doubles appearance at the Championships and Berlin Open before accepting a Wimbledon wild card, with former doubles partner Rennae Stubbs calling it a once-in-a-generation return, and Venus also entering to play doubles alongside Serena.
  > "Inside Serena Williams' return to tennis."
  Source: https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/49208248/serena-williams-wimbledon-return-tennis-rennae-stubbs-venus
- **Just Women's Sports** (United States, en) — Confirmed Williams' first-round draw against Maya Joint on June 30 and noted that her Wimbledon wild card is her first singles match at a Grand Slam in four years, with her last appearance being the 2022 US Open where she signaled retirement after losing to Ajla Tomljanovic.
  > "Wimbledon 2026: Serena Williams Set for Blockbuster Grass Return."
  Source: https://justwomenssports.com/reads/wimbledon-2026-serena-williams-return-first-round-singles-draw-where-to-watch/
- **US Open Official Site (USTA)** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://www.usopen.org/amp/en_US/news/articles/2026-06-22/serena_williams_set_for_singles_return_at_wimbledon_2026.html

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Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/ko/n/serena-williams-wimbledon-return-jun30