It's been four years since Serena Williams last competed at Wimbledon, but the 23-time major champion is officially back.
The 44-year-old Williams made her return to the WTA earlier this month and has since received a wild card to play in the singles and doubles draws at the All England Club. While all of her matches will be must-see events and likely played on Centre Court, there remain many unknowns about how she will fare against some of the best players in the world after such a long absence.
But here's everything we do know about Williams' 2026 Wimbledon campaign and her comeback -- and where and when to watch her.
Who is Williams playing and when?
Williams will first play Tuesday (ESPN; time TBD) in singles against Maya Joint, a 20-year-old Australian currently ranked No. 53 and playing in just her second main draw at Wimbledon. It will mark Williams' first singles match since "evolving away" from tennis following a third-round defeat at the US Open in 2022. Williams is a seven-time singles champion at the tournament.
Williams will play alongside older sister Venus, 46, in doubles, and the pair will start their run Thursday or Friday against Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio. The Williams sisters have won 14 major doubles titles together, including six at the All England Club.
What does her path in singles and doubles look like?
In singles, Williams has a favorable opening match against the inexperienced Joint, but a victory is anything but guaranteed.
If she were to win, her path would immediately get more challenging. She would likely face No. 29 seed Alexandra Eala, who reached the semifinals in Berlin earlier this month and brings an electric crowd of her own to every match she plays. Eala teamed with Venus in Bad Homburg, and the duo reached the quarterfinals. If Williams were to defeat Eala, she would then potentially have the unenviable task of taking on No. 3 seed Iga Swiatek -- the defending champion -- in the third round.
Jasmine Paolini, a 2024 finalist, could await in the round of 16, and No. 8 Elina Svitolina, No. 12 Marta Kostyuk, No. 23 Emma Navarro and No. 31 Donna Vekic -- four players who have all found recent momentum and success -- are on the other side of the quarter.
Her road in doubles wouldn't be much easier. If they were to win their opener, the Williams sisters would likely take on Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs, the No. 9-seeded team, who just reached the final in Bad Homburg. The No. 5-seeded Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez -- the pair that Williams and Victoria Mboko defeated at Queen's Club -- would be potential opponents in the round of 16. Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai, the No. 4 seed and 2026 Australian Open champions, could await in the quarterfinals.
Why is Wimbledon her first major back?
Williams hasn't explicitly answered this question, but her résumé at the All England Club offers some clues. With 14 combined titles -- yes, she even claimed a mixed doubles title in 1998 -- there are few players in history who have fared better at the historic venue.
While grass can be a tricky surface for many -- due to its speed and unpredictability, as well as its short window on the annual calendar -- Williams has a proven record of success and experience that most don't. In fact, there hasn't been a repeat women's champion at Wimbledon since Williams in 2015 and 2016.
Not to mention, the grass is also the softest surface, making it the most forgiving on joints and a benefit for older players. Williams said coming back in the summer made the most sense as her children were out of school and on break.
How has her comeback gone so far?
Williams made her official return at Queen's Club earlier this month. Playing doubles with Mboko, the pair were victorious in their first-round match against Routliffe and Melichar-Martinez 7-6 (2), 6-2 in front of a capacity crowd. Williams -- who notched a 120 mph serve in the match -- sealed the victory with an ace and showed flashes of her powerful hitting and competitive fire.
After the match, Williams graded herself a C- and said there was "room for improvement." But she added that they had a lot of fun.
However, their run was prematurely cut short after Mboko sustained an MCL injury in one of her knees the following day during her singles match. The two were forced to withdraw from the tournament and Mboko is sidelined for the rest of the grass season.
Williams then played in Berlin the following week, again in doubles only. Teaming up with Karolina Muchova, the pair fell to Routliffe and Giuliana Olmos 6-4, 6-4 in their opener. Williams again had moments of dominance but Routliffe -- playing against Williams for the second time in a week -- and Olmos continued to find answers and get the win in 90 minutes.
From there, Williams opted to train at Wimbledon last week instead of playing in one of the other grass tournaments. While at the All England Club, she has practiced with players such as Kostyuk and Maria Sakkari.