London, June 16 (IANS) One of tennis’ most celebrated partnerships will return to the grass courts of the All England Club this month after Serena and Venus Williams were awarded a wildcard for the women’s doubles competition at Wimbledon 2026.

The announcement ensures the iconic sisters will once again compete together at the tournament where they built one of the most successful doubles legacies in Grand Slam history. Wimbledon gets underway on June 29, with the pair expected to draw significant attention as Serena continues her return to professional tennis after a four-year absence.

The wildcard grants the former champions direct entry into the doubles draw, although neither Serena nor Venus has been included among the initial recipients of women’s singles wildcards. Organisers are yet to allocate one remaining singles wildcard, leaving a slim possibility that either sister could still feature in the singles event.

The Williams duo have enjoyed extraordinary success at Wimbledon, lifting the women’s doubles trophy six times and compiling an unbeaten record in Grand Slam doubles finals. Together, they have claimed 14 major doubles titles, establishing themselves as one of the most dominant partnerships the sport has ever seen.

Their achievements at the All England Club extend beyond Grand Slam glory. In 2012, Serena and Venus captured Olympic women’s doubles gold on the same courts, adding to the Olympic titles they had previously won at the Sydney 2000 and Beijing 2008 Games.

For Serena, this year’s Wimbledon carries added significance as she continues an unexpected comeback. The 44-year-old had not competed in a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open, a tournament widely believed to have marked the end of her illustrious career. Earlier this month, however, she returned to competitive tennis in the doubles event at Queen’s Club, partnering Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.

The pair won their opening match before Mboko was forced to withdraw from the tournament because of injury, cutting short what had been an encouraging return for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.

Serena has since continued her comeback campaign at the Berlin Tennis Open, where she is partnering Czech player Karolína Muchová in the doubles competition before heading to Wimbledon.

Meanwhile, 45-year-old Venus will also be looking to build momentum despite a difficult singles season. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion has yet to register a singles victory in 2026, losing all seven of her matches so far. However, she enjoyed success in doubles earlier this year, teaming up with Britain’s Katie Boulter to claim a win at the Madrid Open.

Wimbledon’s latest wildcard announcement also featured several notable names across the singles draws. Former Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka has received a place in the men’s singles main draw as he prepares for the final season of his professional career. Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov has also been awarded a wildcard.

In contrast, Britain’s Dan Evans has not been granted direct entry into the men’s singles despite announcing that this will be his final Wimbledon appearance before retirement.

On the women’s side, French Open runner-up Maja Chwalińska earned a wildcard following her breakthrough run at Roland Garros.

While several intriguing storylines are set to unfold at this year’s Championships, few are likely to capture the imagination quite like the reunion of Serena and Venus Williams. More than two decades after they first transformed women’s doubles, the sisters will once again walk onto Wimbledon’s grass together, adding another chapter to one of tennis’ greatest partnerships.

–IANS

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