Four years after her last professional appearance, the iconic purple and green of SW19 welcomes back its most decorated modern queen. Serena Williams’ stunning acceptance of a singles wildcard completely reenters the tournament’s gravitational pull. At Centre Court, the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion embarks on an eagerly anticipated campaign fuelled by competitive fire rather than simple nostalgia.
While her legacy is already secure, the lonely crucible of Centre Court singles presents a fascinating multi-generational test. Serena’s opening-round task is a heavy baseline battle against Australia’s 20-year-old rising talent Maya Joint, a player who wasn’t even born when Serena was already lifting Grand Slam trophies on these very lawns.
Serena last played the Wimbledon in 2022. She last reached the final in 2019 and her last title here came in 2016.
Star Sports will provide TV coverage of Wimbledon 2026 in India. Livestreaming available on JioHotstar.
Serena heads into Wimbledon after having played two doubles matches on grass. Her return to the WTA tour marked a first-round win with Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club. She was not able to play further at the Queen’s as Mboko picked up an injury.
She also played with Karolina Muchova in Berlin, losing the women’s doubles first-round match there.
Serena, who will be playing doubles with sister Venus Williams at SW19, confirmed that she decided about singles participation as late as last Monday.
“I had until Monday to decide,” she said.
“I think it was like Sunday [that I decided]. I just wasn’t sure up until then. Honestly, I’m still not even sure, but we’ll see.”
But the theatre of Day 2 stretches far beyond Serena’s blockbuster comeback. Across the primary three show courts, Wimbledon’s top seeds and heavy-hitters look to stake their claim on what promises to be a highly volatile opening week.
Centre Court (From 6:00 pm IST)
The main stadium opens with World No. 3 Iga Swiatek navigating a tricky opening hurdle against the tricky, low-skidding left-handed slices of America’s Taylor Townsend. Following that blockbuster curtain-raiser, second seed and French Open champion Alexander Zverev begins his quest for a maiden grass-court Major against the highly rated Belgian youngster Alexander Blockx.
Once the heavy artillery wraps up, the stage is set for the headline act: Serena Williams making her emotional walk back down the famous Centre Court clubhouse steps to face Maya Joint.
- Iga Swiatek (3) vs Taylor Townsend
- Alexander Zverev (2) vs Alexander Blockx
- Serena Williams (WC) vs Maya Joint
No. 1 Court (From 5:30 pm IST)
Over on No. 1 Court, the action kicks off with an absolute masterclass in baseline hitting. Sixth seed Taylor Fritz looks to bring his big-serving American game to bear against the veteran guile of Dusan Lajovic. Immediately following, the women’s second seed Elena Rybakina begins her campaign as a heavy title favourite, bringing her destructive serve to the grass against France’s Lois Boisson.
Rounding off a stellar billing on the second show court is a mouth-watering, old-school men’s clash. Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka takes on former finalist Matteo Berrettini in what promises to be a brutal display of baseline power and grass-court pedigree.
- Taylor Fritz (6) vs Dusan Lajovic
- Elena Rybakina (2) vs Lois Boisson
- Stan Wawrinka vs Matteo Berrettini
No. 2 Court (From 3:30 pm IST)
Known historically as the Graveyard of Champions, No. 2 Court offers an intimate, pressure-cooker atmosphere right from the afternoon. The baseline action begins early with sixth-seeded Amanda Anisimova looking to overpower North Macedonia’s Line Gjorcheska.
Following them, the explosive fourth seed Ben Shelton brings his electrifying brand of tennis to the grass against Finland’s big-serving Otto Virtanen. Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, seeded eighth, faces a tricky Ukrainian derby against the flat-hitting Daria Snigur, before Italy’s rising star Flavio Cobolli closes out the day against Argentina’s clay-court specialist Mariano Navone in a fascinating clash of styles.
- Amanda Anisimova (6) vs Line Gjorcheska
- Ben Shelton (4) vs Otto Virtanen
- Elina Svitolina (8) vs Daria Snigur
- Flavio Cobolli vs Mariano Navone
– Ends
