Wimbledon has awarded the final women’s singles wildcard for the 2026 tournament to Serena Williams, the seven-time champion and American tennis icon. The announcement came on Sunday evening, completing the lineup of eight wildcard recipients after seven had been previously disclosed.

Williams last competed in a singles match at the 2022 US Open, where she was eliminated in the third round by Ajla Tomljanovic. At that tournament, she hinted at a transition away from competitive tennis, describing her future as “evolving away” from the sport without formally announcing retirement. Her most recent appearance at Wimbledon in singles was earlier in 2022, when she exited in the first round after a loss to Harmony Tan. At that time, it was her first singles match in a year.

Earlier this month, Williams made her return to professional tennis in doubles play at the Queen’s Club in London, partnering with Victoria Mboko. The duo won their opening round against the third-seeded team of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe. However, Mboko sustained a left knee injury during her singles match the following day, which forced her withdrawal from Wimbledon and curtailed their doubles campaign. Following this, Williams teamed with Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Open in a doubles match but was defeated in the first round by Giuliana Olmos and Routliffe.

Serena – who is already confirmed to compete in the Wimbledon doubles event alongside her sister Venus Williams – has expressed cautious optimism about her readiness for singles competition. When questioned recently at the Berlin Open about the possibility of accepting the last wildcard slot, she responded with some humor, noting she needed to “get to practice” and “get to work.”

Venus Williams, age 46, continues to participate occasionally in professional events, often receiving wildcards into major tournaments. The Williams sisters have a storied history at Wimbledon, holding a joint record of six women’s doubles titles in the Open Era, a feat they share with Suzanne Lenglen and Elizabeth Ryan. Their most recent Wimbledon doubles championship was in 2016.

The sisters, whose combined age is 90, are scheduled to begin their first-round doubles match at Wimbledon either on Thursday, July 2, or Friday, July 3, marking another chapter in their enduring presence on the sport’s grandest stages.