Serena Williams returns to the tracks with the dream of matching Margaret Court

by time news

BarcelonaSerena Williams had to retire on June 29 last year from her first-round Wimbledon match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich due to a thigh injury. Since then, the American legend has not played an official match again. At 40, he had high expectations of whether he would eventually retire from the courts after a historic career, with 23 Grand Slams, one less than the famous Margaret Court, the most lauded tennis player of all time. .

A month ago, Serena posted a video on her Instagram account while training and fed the rumors of a possible comeback. And so it will be: the little Williams will play Wimbledon a year after her injury, precisely in the same tournament. The London-based organization confirmed last week that it will be invited with one wild card to play in a tournament that will start on June 27 and has already won seven times. The tennis player also wanted to confirm this with a new image on her Instagram account, with the shoes she will wear at the tournament and with a revealing phrase: “It’s a date. See you there. Let’s go.”

After winning the Australian Open in 2017, Williams has been unable to win another Grand Slam. Since then, he has suffered four consecutive defeats at the finals of major tournaments, two at Wimbledon and the other two at the US Open in 2018 and 2019.

Before returning to the Wimbledon courts, and to prepare for the London tournament, Serena Williams will play the round of 16 at Eastbourne, a WTA 500 grass doubles tournament in doubles alongside Ons Jabeur (5.50pm). The Tunisian will be the sixth tennis player with whom Serena will play doubles after a successful career in this modality by partnering with her sister Venus. Jabeur was incredulous at the decision of the 40-year-old tennis player and admitted that she was very excited: “I’m very lucky that Serena chose me.”

After almost a year without playing, the American is number 1,204 in the WTA rankings. Therefore, it was necessary for the little sister of the Williams to receive an invitation from the Wimbledon organization, as, due to her position, she did not have the right to be even in the pre-competition.

A tournament without Russians or Belarusians

Serena Williams has a total of 23 Grand Slams, with seven Australian Open, three Roland Garros, seven Wimbledon and six US Open. In the 79 Grand Slams he has played, he has a record of 365 wins and 54 losses, a percentage of 87%. In addition, she won four Olympic gold medals: at the 2000 Sydney, Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Games. At this Wimbledon, the American will have another chance to match Court, but it seems difficult for her to do so. It weighs more right now to see her compete again in the British tournament than her real chances of a historic victory. At the moment, the favorite to take it is the Polish Iga Swiatek, who will also have less competition than usual due to the absence of Russian and Belarusian tennis players in all the tables. This sanction will prevent the ATP from awarding points based on what happens at the All England Club.

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