Serena Williams returning to Wimbledon via wild-card entry

Serena Williams was officially entered into the Wimbledon field on Tuesday through a wild-card invitation as she gets ready to participate in her first competition in a year.

Williams’ name didn’t initially appear on the singles entry list when it was released earlier this month. The All-England Club announced Williams and five other players were given wild-card invitations. Those other players are Katie Boulter, Jodie Burrage, Sonay Kartal, Yuriko Miyazaki and Katie Swan.

Earlier Tuesday, the 23-time Grand Slam champion suggested she would be playing at Wimbledon.

“SW and SW19. It’s a date. 2022 See you there,” she wrote in an Instagram post showing her tennis shoes on a grass court.

SW19 refers to the postal code of where the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is. The facility hosts the Wimbledon Championships each year.

Williams, 40, has not played in a match since last year’s Wimbledon when she dropped out against Aliaksandra Sasnovich due to a leg injury. The match was tied 3-3 in the first set when she retired.

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She opened up about having to leave the court because of the injury in a subsequent Instagram post last year.

“I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg. My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on centre court so meaningful. Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on – and off – the court meant the world to me,” she wrote.

She slipped on the grass while hitting a forehand during the fifth game. After suffering the injury, it was visible on Williams’ face that she was in pain, and she went to the locker room following a loss in that game.

Williams is one Grand Slam title away from tying Margaret Court for most all time. However, she hasn’t won a major since the Australian Open in 2017. The last time she won at Wimbledon was in 2016. She’s won seven times there.

The 2022 Wimbledon Championships begin June 27 and run through July 10.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.