Serena's return puts familiar force at centre of Wimbledon

LONDON: For a few days, the recipient of the final Wimbledon women’s singles wildcard was unknown, but in reality it was always destined for American great Serena Williams.

Once the 44-year-old let it be known she wanted to return to the Centre Court she once owned, it was a no-brainer for the All England Club committee who decide which players who do not qualify automatically receive a special invite.

At a stroke, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has become the undisputed headline act at a tournament at which she has won seven singles titles and six doubles crowns with sister Venus.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka’s quest for a first title on the hallowed turf, Iga Swiatek’s defence of the crown, even the British obsession with Emma Raducanu will all take a back seat once Williams strolls through the gates.

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Aura of the American

It is four years since Williams lost in the Wimbledon first round to Harmony Tan and weeks later made an emotional exit at the U.S. Open, saying she was evolving away from tennis.

The game has moved on since and new forces have established themselves, but no player boasts the aura of the American whose story, and that of Venus, who she will team up with in doubles, has transcended sport.

Before re-appearing at Queen’s Club this month, in the doubles alongside Victoria Mboko, Williams cited a desire to have her young daughters Olympia and Adira watch her play.

She also rightly said she had nothing to prove. But no one should be in any doubt that Williams will return to Wimbledon believing she can still mix it with the best.

Wimbledon draw on Friday

When the draw is made on Friday no one will want to see Williams in their vicinity.

Legitimate questions will be asked about whether a singles return is a step too far for a player who ruled the women’s game with an iron grip and who spent a joint-record 186 consecutive weeks as world number one.

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Looking leaner than in 2022, however, she impressed alongside Mboko at Queen’s and insiders say she has been practising hard on the singles court for a Wimbledon return that was being planned as far back as the end of last year.

Williams has used a GLP-1 weight-loss drug she says has helped her shed 34 pounds (15 kg) and feel “better than in years”.

While that has started a debate about whether they are performance enhancing and should be on a banned list, former world number one Andy Roddick said it was “exactly what she should have done”.

“It’s avoiding injury while training the way you need to,” he said on his podcast Serve. “That’s easier when you have the option of being 20 pounds lighter,” he said.

Movement will be key, Roddick says

Roddick has no doubt that her weapons still remain.

“Serena is going to be able to serve forever,” he said. “I’m never worried about Serena hitting a tennis ball. I’m never worried about her being powerful, I’m never worried about her being engaged when she’s out there.

“When she knows where the ball is going, she is going to punish that ball. We need to see the movement. We still don’t know what the side to side movement looks like.

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“I’m curious about it all. I think she can go out and win singles matches. You see 120 mph serves on the radar gun (in the doubles at Queen’s Club) and you left that match thinking I wanna see her play singles.”

Roddick likened the impact Williams can have on the psychology of opponents, especially inexperienced ones, merely by being on other side of the net as the “Tiger effect” – referencing American golf great Tiger Woods.

Tennis has been in something of a post golden-era with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray retired, and with Carlos Alcaraz injured, this year’s Wimbledon was in danger of being relegated to a side-show to the soccer World Cup.

Box office return to tennis

The return, therefore, of a true tennis titan is a huge boost for the organisers, fans and TV executives alike.

Should Williams finally equal Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, nine years after her last one, it would rival any sporting comeback in history.

Whatever happens, it will be unmissable.

“It’s pretty bold,” former world number four Mary Joe Fernandez, who will be commentating for ESPN, said this week. “I’m excited. I’m excited to see how she’s playing, how she’s moving, how the serve is firing.

“It’s a remarkable testimony to her that she has that confidence that she can do it. If anybody can, it’s Serena.”