Serena Williams will be back in action at Wimbledon this year after an entire year on the sidelines, thanks to a wildcard from the tournament organizers. Although the American is ranked well outside the Top-1000, that hasn't stopped tennis fans from wishing that the 23-time Grand Slam champion would be allowed to open play on the iconic Centre Court.It is a tradition at Wimbledon every year for the defending champion to start off proceedings in the women's draw with the opening match on centre court. This year, however, Ashleigh Barty will not be available to kick off on the 28th, as the Australian announced her retirement earlier this year, leading fans to wonder who it should be.Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸@christophclareySince full seeding began at Wimbledon in 1927, no unseeded player has won the women's singles at #WimbledonSerena Williams is unseeded this year712Since full seeding began at Wimbledon in 1927, no unseeded player has won the women's singles at #WimbledonSerena Williams is unseeded this year https://t.co/vOuh3jjkgbMany are of the opinion that the honor should belong to the American legend, a seven-time winner at the tournament. Since this could very well be the former World No. 1's last appearance at SW19, users on Twitter hoped Serena Williams could have one last hurrah in front of a crowd that absolutely adores her.Several also reckon it should be Simona Halep, the winner of the 2019 edition. The Romanian missed out on the chance to open play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and an injury forced her out of the 2021 edition. Back then, Barty, who was the World No. 1 at the time, took her place on Centre Court, making fans proclaim that it is only fair that Halep gets the chance to repay the favor next week.World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who will be coming into Wimbledon with a 35-match win-streak, is also a strong contender, while last year's runner-up Karolina Pliskova is also in the running.It is not without precedent for the runner-up to open play at Wimbledon in the absence of a defending champion, lending a strong argument to Pliskova's case. Local sensation and reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu's name was also tossed in the hat by eager Brits, but it is very unlikely that Raducanu will get the nod ahead of the aforementioned four."Probably the final time Serena Williams plays, it has to be her," one fan tweeted.Dylan B@dccb31Probably the final time Serena plays, it has to be her twitter.com/tennispodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault26In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultProbably the final time Serena plays, it has to be her twitter.com/tennispodcast/…Gareth 🗳➡️🌹@garethowenshaw@serenawilliams all the way! Respect the player who has made womens tennis what it is! Her LEGACY is untouchable twitter.com/tennispodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault556In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault@serenawilliams all the way! Respect the player who has made womens tennis what it is! Her LEGACY is untouchable 🔥 twitter.com/tennispodcast/…David Law@DavidLawTennisAny of those 3 would be understandable choices, but I would choose Halep. She would have been first on a year ago and injury took it from her. twitter.com/tennispodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault1003In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultAny of those 3 would be understandable choices, but I would choose Halep. She would have been first on a year ago and injury took it from her. twitter.com/tennispodcast/…Josh Gross@josh3302It SHOULD be Halep. It'll probably be Serena. Wouldn't surprise me if it's Raducanu twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault16In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultIt SHOULD be Halep. It'll probably be Serena. Wouldn't surprise me if it's Raducanu twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…"Should be Halep. Denied the chance to walk out as a champion last year. Would be nice for her to have that moment this year," another fan posted.Chris Brown@ChrisBrownSportShould be Halep. Denied the chance to walk out as a champion last year. Would be nice for her to have that moment this year. twitter.com/tennispodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault96In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultShould be Halep. Denied the chance to walk out as a champion last year. Would be nice for her to have that moment this year. twitter.com/tennispodcast/…Juan Ignacio (not just Juan)@juanignacio_acI'd love if it would be Iga, but Simona is clearly an obvious candidate, so I'd be fine with either option. And then I don't know why Plíšková isn't considered here. It's between cureent number 1, last active champion, and last year's finalist for me twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault371In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultI'd love if it would be Iga, but Simona is clearly an obvious candidate, so I'd be fine with either option. And then I don't know why Plíšková isn't considered here. It's between cureent number 1, last active champion, and last year's finalist for me twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…José Morgado@josemorgadoIga Swiatek.Think Serena and Raducanu will play their round 1 matches on Centre Court as well.+ Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault27810In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultIga Swiatek.Think Serena and Raducanu will play their round 1 matches on Centre Court as well.+ Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…"I voted for Simona to open play. But please, let Iga also play her 1st round match on Centre Court. I think she hasn't played on Centre Court ever," one account wrote.BEE 💓@miserablehalfI voted for Simona to open play. But please, let Iga also play her 1st round match on Centre Court. I think she hasn't played on Centre Court ever. #Wimbledon twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault17In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultI voted for Simona to open play. But please, let Iga also play her 1st round match on Centre Court. I think she hasn't played on Centre Court ever. #Wimbledon twitter.com/TennisPodcast/….@gfin240Pliskova. That’s always been the way they’ve done it is to give it to the previous year’s runner-up. So why not now? twitter.com/tennispodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault587In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultPliskova. That’s always been the way they’ve done it is to give it to the previous year’s runner-up. So why not now? twitter.com/tennispodcast/…Sam@sogsupremeHaving simona do it would be the classy move, 2019 meant so much to her and not getting to defend it because of covid in 20 and injury in 21 must have felt awful twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…The Tennis Podcast@TennisPodcastIn the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVault137In the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who should open play on Tuesday on Centre Court at Wimbledon? 2019 champ Simona Halep (who couldn’t do it last time due to injury), World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 7-time champion Serena Williams or someone else?#PollVaultHaving simona do it would be the classy move, 2019 meant so much to her and not getting to defend it because of covid in 20 and injury in 21 must have felt awful twitter.com/TennisPodcast/…"Barty stepped in to open play when Simona Halep was injured in 2021, it would be lovely if Wimbledon did same in reverse this year," another fan tweeted.Jonny Bartrand@JBartrand@TennisPodcast Barty stepped in to open play when Simona Halep was injured in 2021, it would be lovely if @Wimbledon did same in reverse this year.491@TennisPodcast Barty stepped in to open play when Simona Halep was injured in 2021, it would be lovely if @Wimbledon did same in reverse this year.Sam@amigatehouse@TennisPodcast Any decision other than Simona Halep would actually be quite insulting to her.55@TennisPodcast Any decision other than Simona Halep would actually be quite insulting to her.phil d@Dphil82@TennisPodcast Serena shouldn‘t necessarily open, but surely should play her first match on CC. Iga has no Wimbledon history at all - so fine if she plays on no1/2 mostly . Thankfully Wimbledon does not do the 2m/1w order on center anymore3@TennisPodcast Serena shouldn‘t necessarily open, but surely should play her first match on CC. Iga has no Wimbledon history at all - so fine if she plays on no1/2 mostly . Thankfully Wimbledon does not do the 2m/1w order on center anymoreExcept Serena Williams, all of Iga Swiatek, Simona Halep, Karolina Pliskova and Emma Raducanu are seeded at Wimbledon 2022Serena Williams is the only unseeded player among the group of favorites to open playMeanwhile, the seedings for the 2022 Wimbledon are out, and with the exception of Serena Williams, all of the possible favorites to open play on Centre Court are seeded. Iga Swiatek took the top seed position, while Karolina Pliskova is the sixth seed.Ben Rothenberg@BenRothenberg#Wimbledon seedings announced.Not the conversation piece they once were since they just adhere to the rankings now.35464#Wimbledon seedings announced.Not the conversation piece they once were since they just adhere to the rankings now. https://t.co/EVuw4Yz6yjEmma Raducanu is the 10th seed at SW19, while Simona Halep is the 19th seed. All of them are likely to play their opening matches on Centre Court, as is Williams, despite the fact that she is only a wildcard entry.