"How she wins more than a couple of matches is beyond me, given the time she’s been gone" Steve Flink on Serena Williams' chances at Wimbledon

Serena Williams surprised the tennis world by announcing that she would return to action at Eastbourne ahead of a much-awaited Wimbledon comeback after a gap of 12 months.

Williams last played at Wimbledon in 2021, where she retired midway through her opening match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich after slipping and injuring her hamstriing.

Speaking on the Tennis Channel's Court-Side with Beilinson Tennis show, Flink stated that the seven-time Wimbledon champion was possibly hoping to "do it on memory and inspiration," which may not be enough.

"If she proves me wrong, all power to her but I’m not sure what exactly she’s expecting to get out of this as opposed to if she had a mood to play a bunch of tournaments and gone to the French to see if she can win a few matches there and kept going on the grass and had some sense of preparation. She’s not gonna have that, I think she’s just hoping to do it on memory and inspiration and that may not be enough," Flink said.

In search of an elusive 24th Grand Slam and 8th Wimbledon title - Serena Williams

Serena Williams last won a Wimbledon title in 2016 beating Angelique Kerber in the finals

A seven-time champion at Wimbledon, Serena first won the tournament in 2002 after getting past two-time defending champion and sister Venus Williams.

The two sisters clashed again in the finals a year later with exactly the same result before Maria Sharapova won the title in 2004 by defeating Serena.

After going down to Venus in the 2008 finals, the American turned the tables on her sister in 2009 and beat Vera Zvonareva of Russia in 2010.

The former World No. 1 won the 2012 tournament by beating Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland to win her fifth Wimbledon crown before bagging two successive titles in 2015 and 2016 at the expense of Garbine Muguruza and Angelique Kerber respectively.

Kerber got her opportunity for revenge and stopped Serena Williams from winning an eighth Wimbledon title, defeating her in straight sets in 2018, while Simona Halep defeated her, also in straight sets, in 2019.

Serena Williams, who is aiming to equal Margaret Court's tally of 24 Grand Slam wins, has been unable to move beyond her 23rd title despite competing in four Slam finals since her last triumph at the 2017 Australian Open.