Serena Williams will make her return at the upcoming Rothesay International in Eastbourne, which commences next week.
The American withdrew during her first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Wimbledon last year after slipping and injuring her ankle. Williams has not played on tour since and as a result, she has plummeted to 1208th in the singles rankings.
However, the former World No. 1 is set to make her comeback in the doubles event of the Rothesay International in Eastbourne, having received a wildcard alongside Ons Jabeur.
The former World No. 1 arrived in London with her daughter ahead of the tournament and posted a video of herself serving on a grasscourt. This year will mark her first appearance in Eastbourne since 2011, when she lost 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 to Vera Zvonareva in the second round.
Williams captioned the post, " Ready..."
Serena Williams said that she is excited to return to the competition and play in front of the fans again.
“I am excited to return to the Rothesay International tournament in England and to be back on the grass - a surface that has been so good to me throughout my career," Williams said. "Eastbourne has a unique charm that you don’t see anywhere else on Tour and I’m looking forward to playing in front of the fans again.”
Serena Williams has also received a wildcard for Wimbledon
Williams will make her singles return at Wimbledon as a wildcard. The American will be vying for her eighth Wimbledon title and record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown. Williams has an incredible record at the tournament, winning 98 out of 111 matches so far.
She last won the competition in 2016 by beating Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 in the final. After not participating in 2017 due to her pregnancy, Williams took part in 2018 and reached the final after beating Camila Giorgi and Julia Gorges en route. However, she lost 6-3, 6-3 to Angelique Kerber.
Serena also reached the title clash in 2019 but was comprehensively beaten by Simona Halep in straight sets.
Having been out of action for a long time, expectations will not be too high for the 40-year-old. However, given her experience, proclivity to grass and her mentality, she can cause a few upsets at Wimbledon.
Serena Williams will look to make the most out of her time in Eastbourne to get some taste of game time ahead of the grasscourt Grand Slam.
Is Serena Williams a Jehovah's Witness? Why American legend doesn't celebrate birthdays or Christmas