Serena Williams’ return fuels record Wimbledon ratings for ESPN

The World Cup may be dominating the sports conversation, but Serena Williams still delivered record Wimbledon viewership for ESPN.

Williams retired after the 2022 US Open but announced a return to the doubles circuit at the Queen’s Club Championships in June, having not played professionally for four years. She later received a singles wild card to play at Wimbledon.

Williams lost in three sets to Australia’s Maya Joint, but her return still delivered record ratings for ESPN.

The sports network announced that the Joint-Williams match last Tuesday averaged 1.8 million viewers on ESPN, peaking at 2.1 million between 4 and 4:15 p.m. According to Sports Media Watch, Williams’ last Wimbledon appearance, against Harmony Tan in 2022, averaged 842,000 viewers.

But it wasn’t just Williams that fans were watching. The entire day on Tuesday averaged 937,000 viewers. That’s up 55% from 2025 and marks Wimbledon’s most-watched first-round telecast on ESPN.

Viewership was also strong in the key 18-49 demographic. Williams-Joint averaged 411,000 viewers in the demographic, while the entire day averaged 208,000, up 50% from last year.

Monday’s first-round telecast averaged 536,000 viewers, making it the second-most-watched Wimbledon Day 1 on record.

Combined, Monday and Tuesday averaged 734,000 viewers. That’s the most-watched Wimbledon first round on ESPN. The first round averaged 164,000 viewers in the 18-49 demographic.

While Williams is out of the singles tournament, it might not be the last time ESPN shows her in action at Wimbledon. Serena is paired with her sister, Venus Williams, in doubles, and they will play their first match on Sunday. With Serena already proving to be such a ratings success for ESPN, it certainly wouldn’t hurt for the network to also feature her doubles action.

There is also speculation that Williams may continue her return at the US Open, which ESPN also holds the rights to. If she does play, Williams would likely receive a featured primetime slot, which could lead to even more blockbuster tennis ratings for ESPN. The network averaged 4.8 million viewers for Williams’ last match at the US Open in 2022 against Ajla Tomljanović.

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