The greatest women’s tennis player of all time is headed back to the sport’s most iconic stage: Wimbledon.
On Sunday, the official Wimbledon X account announced that Serena Williams will officially unretire to compete in next week’s Wimbledon Championships, marking her first Grand Slam singles appearance since the 2022 U.S. Open. Williams will enter the tournament as a wild card, a designation reserved for players whose world ranking is not high enough to qualify automatically for the main draw but who are granted entry at the discretion of tournament organizers.
This is not a drill.@serenawilliams will compete in the 2026 ladies’ singles at #Wimbledon as a wild card. pic.twitter.com/1vHnDEQ4xm
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 21, 2026
The announcement immediately sent shockwaves through both the tennis world and sportsbooks alike.
Serena Williams Wimbledon odds: 30/1
Serena Williams’ current Wimbledon odds are listed at +3000 (30/1) on Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook. Entering the event, there are just 12 players with shorter odds to lift the trophy led by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who remains the tournament betting favorite at +260.
Bettors still believe in Serena
To gauge the public interest, we went to the data. During the 24-hour window following yesterday’s announcement that Serena Williams would return to Wimbledon:
- Serena Williams generated more than double the number of outright winner bets than any other player in the field on Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook
- Serena Williams generated more than double the handle of any other women’s singles participant.
What are the chances that Serena Williams wins Wimbledon?
Using our sports betting odds calculator, Serena’s current +3000 odds to win Wimbledon carries an implied probability of just over 3%.
The odds are long, she’s been retired for four years, and is 44 years old now… but it’s still Serena Williams at Wimbledon.
The Seven-Time Champ
Serena Williams has won seven Wimbledon singles titles, tied for the most in the Open Era. Her championships came in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and most recently in 2016, when she defeated Angelique Kerber in the final to claim her 22nd Grand Slam title and equal Steffi Graf’s Open Era record.
Whether Williams can realistically contend for a championship instantly becomes one of the biggest questions surrounding this year’s tournament. The women’s field features a deep collection of stars, including Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina.
Yet history suggests counting out Serena Williams is rarely a wise decision and at 30/1, bettors seem interested.
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