Williams Sisters Reunite for Wimbledon Doubles with Wild Card Invitation

Serena and Venus Williams have been granted a doubles wild card to compete together at Wimbledon, the All England Club announced on Tuesday. The pair, with a combined age of 90, will team up for the prestigious grass-court tournament, which begins on June 29. The invitation marks a significant moment in tennis history, as the legendary sisters prepare to compete together for the first time since the 2022 U.S. Open.

Serena, 44, recently returned to professional tennis after nearly four years away from competition. Venus, who turns 46 on Wednesday, has continued competing sporadically. The decision to partner together came at the suggestion of Serena's daughter, Olympia. "I think it's going to be fun," Serena said after losing a doubles match with Karolina Muchova in Berlin on Tuesday. "My daughter, Olympia, told me I should play with Venus. She's always right. So I said, 'OK Olympia, we'll see if we can do it.'"

The Williams sisters bring an extraordinary record to Wimbledon. They have won 21 combined titles at the All England Club across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles competitions. Together, they have captured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six at Wimbledon—their first coming in 2000 and most recent in 2016. With six Wimbledon doubles titles as a pair, they share the record for most trophies in women's doubles at the venue with Suzanne Lenglen and Elizabeth Ryan, who won five consecutive titles from 1919 to 1923 and a sixth in 1925. Notably, their first two Wimbledon doubles titles, in 2000 and 2002, were also won as wild cards.

Serena has not ruled out competing in singles as well, leaving one of eight women's singles wild card spots listed as "to be announced." In recent competition, Serena defeated Victoria Mboko in doubles at Queen's Club in London last week, though the pair had to withdraw after Mboko sustained a knee injury. At the Berlin Open on Tuesday, Serena and Muchova fell to Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe, 6-4, 6-4.

The wild card announcement also included other notable players. In men's singles, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka received an invitation, though he plans to retire at the end of the year. Grigor Dimitrov, currently ranked No. 169 after withdrawing from last year's tournament due to a pectoral injury, also received a wild card. In men's doubles, Alexander Bublik and Nick Kyrgios were granted a wild card as a pair, with Kyrgios being a 2022 Wimbledon singles finalist.