Five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus Williams will participate in Wimbledon for the 24th time thanks to a wild card entry into the prestigious grass tournament in London.
Williams, who recently turned 43 years old, reached the ladies’ singles final at Wimbledon in 2017, which was two decades after her first appearance at the All England Club. She has a total of seven Grand Slam singles titles, including consecutive US Open wins in 2000 and 2001.
In her previous Wimbledon victories, Williams emerged as the champion in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2008. Last year, she played mixed doubles at Wimbledon, but this year she will participate in the singles event for the first time since 2021.
Currently ranked No. 697 on the WTA tour, Williams is competing at the Birmingham Classic in the United Kingdom. In her recent match, she defeated No. 48-ranked Camila Giorgi and advanced to the Round of 16, where she will face Jeļena Ostapenko on Thursday.
Williams’s victory over Giorgi also marked the end of a 12-match losing streak and her first win over a top 50 opponent in almost four years. This win is expected to significantly improve her ranking on the WTA tour.
Former World No. 3 Elina Svitolina also received a wild card entry for this year’s Wimbledon. Svitolina, who was a semifinalist in 2019, took a maternity break after giving birth last October but has had a decent year so far, reaching the French Open quarterfinals earlier this month.
The 2023 Wimbledon Championships will take place from July 3 to July 16.
