LONDON — Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams will face Australia’s Maya Joint in the first round of Wimbledon on Tuesday, marking her first singles match in nearly four years.
Williams, 44, accepted a wild-card entry into the grass-court Grand Slam and will also compete in the doubles tournament alongside her sister, Venus Williams, who turned 46 last week.
The All England Club announced Sunday’s singles draw, pairing Williams with Joint, the world No. 53, who made her Wimbledon debut last year and lost in the opening round to Liudmila Samsonova.
Williams has not played a singles match since losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open. After that tournament, she said she was “evolving” away from tennis rather than retiring. She gave birth to her second daughter in 2023.
Her most recent Wimbledon appearance came in 2022, when she lost in the first round to Harmony Tan.
If Williams defeats Joint, she could face 29th-seeded Filipino player Alexandra Eala in the second round. A third-round matchup against defending champion Iga Swiatek is also possible.
Swiatek will open her title defense against American Taylor Townsend on Centre Court on Tuesday.
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka is projected to face French Open champion Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals based on the draw. Second seed Elena Rybakina could meet 2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova, while fourth seed Jessica Pegula is projected to face Coco Gauff.
In the men’s draw, defending champion Jannik Sinner will begin his campaign against Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court on Monday.
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, seeded seventh, will open against China’s Wu Yibing and could face third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz will miss this year’s tournament because of a wrist injury.
Wimbledon begins Monday.
