This Wimbledon wildcard decision will infuriate fans — Serena Williams should win it hands down

Serena Williams is officially back on the WTA Tour. Williams has stunned the tennis world by making a return at 44, nearly four years after her last match.

She marked her comeback with a win in doubles, teaming up with rising star Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club after receiving a wildcard entry.

The tournament is still underway, but much of the talk has already shifted to whether she’ll be given another wildcard, this time for Wimbledon singles.

If Williams is in good enough shape to play, there’s little doubt she’d be a bigger draw than any home player currently available. And when it comes to filling seats and building buzz around an event like Wimbledon, that still counts for something.

She may no longer be at the peak of her powers, but Serena Williams remains one of the sport’s most recognisable names – and tennis is always better when its icons are involved.

Serena Williams has earned the right to a Wimbledon wildcard

Up-and-coming British players deserve their shot at the big stage, and there’s no question many of them have been working quietly in the background for a chance to earn a Wimbledon wildcard.

But none of them come close to what Williams has achieved throughout her career, and even her past accomplishments alone make a strong case for handing her one this year.

She holds 23 Grand Slam singles titles, along with 14 in doubles and two more in mixed doubles. There’s no doubting the significance of those numbers.

On top of that, her return at Queen’s showed just how much fans still want to see her play. The buzz around Williams was bigger than for anyone else in the field, regardless of gender.

The crowd turnout for her appearance with Mboko at Andy Murray Arena spoke volumes. It’s moments like that which should have Wimbledon organisers considering what she could bring to this year’s event.

She remains one of the biggest draws in tennis, and if she does get the nod, ticket sales are only going one way – up.

If some British hopefuls miss out because of it, there will be understandable frustration. But at a place like the All England Club, these decisions sometimes lean towards what makes sense for everyone watching. And it might be hard to argue against giving Williams that spot.

Add in her remarkable history at SW19 – seven titles on those lawns – and it only strengthens her case even further.

But with limited spots available, she won’t just be competing against local talent either. Venus Williams could also be making a push for one more appearance at SW19 while Maja Chwalinska is surely now part of the conversation following her impressive run to this year’s French Open final too.

Patrick Mouratoglou raises questions as Serena Williams returns to tennis

Of course, the biggest question mark around her return is what kind of singles form she can show. Williams has only played doubles so far, and even though it was a solid start, her former coach hasn’t held back in raising concerns.

Taking to Instagram, Patrick Mouratoglou said:

“Serena is back. Here are the challenges that she’ll have to face…

“The tricky part to me is always the movement. Tennis and movement, they are linked together. I always say the best players in the world are the best movers.

“You don’t lose your tennis, so I know Serena will come back with the same serve, the same forehand, the same backhand, everything the same.

“The question is, because she’s 44, she had two children, will she be able to move at the same pace in order to be as aggressive as she wants, in order to defend when she needs to?

“In doubles, you don’t really see that. So I don’t think we have to monitor anything.

“Maybe at the start it’s going to be difficult, but the more she’s going to play the doubles, the better she’s going to be. I’m not worried.”

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