Serena and Venus Williams will reunite to compete in the women’s doubles event at Wimbledon this year, having received a wild-card entry from the All England Club. The tournament begins June 29, marking Serena’s first Wimbledon appearance in four years, following a nearly four-year hiatus from professional tennis. Venus, who has competed intermittently due to health issues, will turn 46 on Wednesday, while Serena is 44.

Together, the sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six at Wimbledon, with victories spanning from 2000 to 2016. Their pairing is among the most successful in the Open Era, and if they capture the title again, they would set a record as the oldest team to win a Grand Slam doubles championship, surpassing the combined age of 74 years, 303 days held by previous champions Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova.

Serena and Venus will not participate in the singles draw at Wimbledon this year, though one women’s singles wild card remains unallocated. Serena has publicly expressed openness toward playing singles but has not confirmed any plans, stating that singles competition may not be her current focus. Venus also did not request a singles wild card.

The wildcard system at Wimbledon tends to be more internationally inclusive than other Grand Slam tournaments, which typically reserve wild cards for national players, except for limited exceptions. This year, besides the Williams sisters’ doubles wildcard, several singles wild cards have been awarded to notable players including Stan Wawrinka, who is in his final season, and Grigor Dimitrov, a former semifinalist in the tournament. Maja Chwalinska, ranked 21st and a recent French Open finalist, also received a rare singles wild card despite initially missing the ranking cutoff.

On the men’s side, wild cards have been granted to players such as Dimitrov; however, notable British player Dan Evans, who will retire after Wimbledon, was not offered a men’s singles wild card but did receive a doubles wild card with British youngster Henry Searle, whom Evans is coaching. Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 finalist, did not receive a singles wild card but remains eligible for entry through a protected ranking due to past injuries.

Serena’s return to competitive doubles has been gradual. Last week at Queen’s Club, she won her first doubles match back alongside Victoria Mboko but the partnership had to withdraw due to Mboko’s knee injury. Most recently, Serena and Karolina Muchova were defeated in doubles at the Berlin Open.

The Williams sisters’ return to Wimbledon in doubles holds significance beyond their on-court achievements, as they are widely seen as trailblazers in tennis, with Venus instrumental in advocating for equal prize money at the event. Their resurgence is anticipated to draw global attention not only for their storied history but also for what could be a final chapter in their illustrious careers.