Serena Williams announcing her singles comeback at Wimbledon has raised some questions for Greg Rusedski.
Williams recently returned to tennis, playing her first matches in nearly four years after coming back at Queen’s.
In her first two tournaments back on the WTA Tour, Williams has only played doubles, having won her only match with Victoria Mboko at Queen’s, before losing in the first round of the Berlin Open with Karolina Muchova.
Williams has not played at Wimbledon since 2022, and Rusedski has suggested the concern he has for the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Greg Rusedski questions Serena Williams’ movement in singles
Rusedski reacted to Wimbledon announcing Williams’ singles wildcard in an emergency episode of his Off Court with Greg Rusedski podcast.
While the former US Open finalist was excited ahead of Williams’ return, revealing that he thought she would play singles at Wimbledon after watching her practicing at the All England Club.
How many singles matches do you think Serena Williams will win at Wimbledon this year?
However, Rusedski admitted he had question marks over Williams’ movement, with the American now 44 years old.
“With Serena you never know what’s going to happen, but she’s got a big team of people every day at practice,” said Rusedski. “David Quayle, the British hitting partner she’s been hitting with for the past month, another hitting partner Rennae Stubbs, the former doubles champion and commentator for ESPN on the team as well. It’s very serious. Two, three hours on court every single day.
“We knew about the wildcard in doubles, but from looking at the sessions from the past week it looks singles, singles and more singles-focused. She said she missed the game completely, she had a conversation with Andy Murray, she said at 44 years of age she still has the hunger to get on court, to try to win tournaments, to do big things in our sport.
“And she wouldn’t be coming back just to make up the numbers, she looks in great shape, but the test will be when she plays her first round match. How is she going to be? Who is she going to play? Can you imagine if she hits [Aryna] Sabalenka in the first round, the world number one!
“I mean all of a sudden you’re bringing fans back into our sport, because she’s the biggest superstar in women’s tennis and a global icon for all sports. So this is huge news, can’t wait to see what happens, but I don’t know what to think, what’s going to happen?”
Rusedski added, “Everybody’s expectation when an icon comes back, we want to see an icon in the same shape, the same serve, the same movement. For me, the question mark I have is how is her movement going to be? Because if her serve isn’t firing and she’s not hitting the corners, can she actually defend in the corners and that’s something you’re going to have to do, because she’s been away for four years.
“The players have gotten physically stronger, they’re moving better and so forth, so it’s trying to find that balance and seeing what happens out there.”
If Serena Williams isn’t the greatest tennis player of all time, then who is and why?
When did Serena Williams last win Wimbledon?
It is unsurprising that Wimbledon wanted to award Williams a wildcard, as she is a seven-time singles champion at the grass court major.
Williams won her first Wimbledon title in 2002, with her last triumph at SW19 coming in 2016 when she beat Angelique Kerber in the final.
The former world number one reached two more finals at Wimbledon, with Williams’ last coming in 2019 when she lost to Simona Halep.
| Year Serena Williams won Wimbledon | Final Result |
| 2002 | Serena Williams beat Venus Williams, 7-6(4) 6-3 |
| 2003 | Serena Williams beat Venus Williams, 4-6 6-4 6-2 |
| 2009 | Serena Williams beat Venus Williams, 7-6(3) 6-2 |
| 2010 | Serena Williams beat Vera Zvonareva, 6-3 6-2 |
| 2012 | Serena Williams beat Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-1 5-7 6-2 |
| 2015 | Serena Williams beat Garbine Mugurza, 6-4 6-4 |
| 2016 | Serena Williams beat Angelique Kerber, 7-5 6-3 |
Alongside singles, Serena Williams is also playing doubles with her older sister Venus at Wimbledon this year.
Serena will discover her first round opponent at Wimbledon this year when the draw takes place on Friday, June 26, before the main draw begins on Monday, June 29.
