Serena Williams’ Wimbledon draw wildcard is what GOAT deserves and tennis wants
No generation of British sports fans can recall an era when Wimbledon wasn’t the most coveted ticket of the summer and Serena Williams’ grass-court comeback will only add to that when the draw is made on Friday morning.
Wimbledon is, arguably, the crown jewel in this nation’s sporting heritage. This year’s Championships will deliver the same captivating blend of outstanding tennis and emotional highs and lows, in a legendary venue, that mesmerises the country and beyond every summer. A thoroughly British establishment but, simultaneously, the summit for the world’s finest players.
Only this year, several will be absent, not least the most magnetic male player of the contemporary age, Carlos Alcaraz. The seven-times Grand Slam champion will be missing as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury, depriving the men’s draw of a headline attraction. But the women’s draw certainly has that in the shape of Williams.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
When it comes to the vital television viewing figures – and, crucially, we are discussing numbers across the globe – any tournament, even Wimbledon, requires headline stars. Which is why the All England Club wouldn’t have had a moment’s doubt in offering 44 year old Williams a wildcard into the singles draw.
Some traditionalists might feel a wildcard shouldn’t be ‘squandered’ on a player who hasn’t competed in a singles match for four years. But that wretched argument crumbles on multiple fronts.
To begin with, most Wimbledon wild cards are awarded to British players who wouldn’t typically qualify. Are they more deserving than a seven-time Wimbledon champion?
And let’s not forget, we’re discussing a 23-time Grand Slam winner here. We’re talking about the Greatest Of All Time.
Indeed, it’s true that Wimbledon may have seemed a tad lacking in sparkle this year, and Williams has instantly transformed that.
The Championships – like every other event at this point in the sports calendar – has to compete with the colossal presence of football’s World Cup. And Williams’ participation will certainly boost its appeal. But this is no publicity stunt.
Serena isn’t going to clinch Wimbledon and equal Margaret Court’s long-standing record of 24 Grand Slam wins, that much is certain. After all, she hasn’t won a singles match at Wimbledon since 2019, when she was defeated in the final by Romania’s Simona Halep.
But this is an athlete who has triumphed in 107 of her 123 singles matches on grass courts. It’s her preferred surface.
Few sportspeople across all disciplines have shown more determination than Williams over the past two and a half decades.
She wouldn’t have accepted a wild card if she thought she might make a fool of herself. And embarrass herself in front of her two daughters, Olympia and Adira, who inspired the comeback (although Williams has never officially announced a retirement).
Williams has clinched 14 titles at Wimbledon – six women’s doubles and a mixed doubles, in addition to her seven singles – and secured Olympic gold in both singles and doubles there in 2012. The Centre Court is her domain.
And that is where the All England Club will place the GOAT when she competes in her first-round match. This is akin to royalty making a return. And we all know how much Wimbledon and its patrons adore royalty. The queen’s comeback couldn’t have been better timed.
This year’s Wimbledon runs from June 29 to July 12. The women’s final takes place on Saturday, July 11, and the men’s singles final the day after on Sunday, July 12.
The draw for the men’s and women’s singles for Wimbledon 2025 will be made on Friday, June 26 at 10am.
