Tennis history is about to be rewritten on the grass courts of Wimbledon – or so we hope! The all-conquering Serena Williams is back for another crack at singles glory, this time aged 44. Yes, you read that right – four decades young and still hungry for more. A seven-time champion in London, where she's won three out of her last five appearances since the turn of the century, Williams has always been a force to be reckoned with.
The stats are astonishing: she enters the women's singles main draw as the oldest competitor by a whopping six years – that's Tatjana Maria (38) from Germany struggling to keep up. But what about her younger rivals? The current crop of leading lights, including world number one Aryna Sabalenka (28) and reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek (25), are roughly two decades her junior. It's a daunting prospect for anyone, but Williams has never been one to shy away from a challenge.
Lindsay Davenport, a fellow tennis legend who was once world number one alongside Williams in the early 2000s, is backing her old mate to make an instant impact. 'Serena's always had the mindset of excellence,' she told BBC Sport – and it seems that mental toughness is still very much intact. But can her body keep up? Doubles tennis is a different beast altogether from singles, where every point counts and fitness levels are stretched to the limit.
The examples aren't exactly encouraging: Kim Clijsters' comeback at 36 ended in disappointment; Angelique Kerber's attempt at 36 after maternity leave was short-lived too. But Williams has shown she's no stranger to defying expectations – remember her four Grand Slam finals appearances between 2018 and 2020? The fire still burns within this American icon, even if her body may not be as spry as it once was.
With two little ones (Olympia is eight now, Adira just turned two) to care for, you might wonder how Williams balances family life with the daily grind of practice and training. But let's face it – we all know why she's here: the thrill of competition, the rush of adrenaline on Centre Court. Can she still compete? Only time will tell, but one thing's certain – Serena's return to Wimbledon is going to be an absolute treat for fans worldwide.