Serena Williams is chasing a dream. But at times, it sounds like she’s not exactly sure what that dream is.
The 44-year-old says her last-second decision to play singles at Wimbledon came as a surprise even to herself.
“I had until Monday to decide,” she said with a smile. “I think it was like Sunday. I just wasn’t sure up until then. Honestly, I’m still not even sure, but we’ll see.”
We’ll find out just how ready the seven-time Wimbledon champion is for Grand Slam singles competition on Tuesday when she takes on Australia’s Maya Joint, a player who was born in 2006, by which time Serena already owned seven major singles titles.
The tennis world waits with anticipation, wondering if the 23-time major champion can summon the magic that made her one of the most dominant players in the sport’s history.
Williams, who originally accepted a wild card into Wimbledon to play doubles with sister Venus, says that when she learned the All England Club was holding a singles wild card open in case she wanted to play, she simply couldn’t resist.
“I thought not every day Wimbledon holds a wild card for someone,” she said on Sunday during her pre-tournament press conference. “I can name probably like a handful of people. I happened to be one of those people. I thought I should really take this opportunity. Who knows if I’ll ever make it here again? This could be it.”
Williams has spoken about her desire to compete professionally in front of her daughters, Olympia and Adira, now eight and two. There is also the brand partnership with GLP-1 provider Ro. Williams is a celebrity ambassador, while her husband has been an early investor and board member since 2018. Then there is her lifelong attraction to a challenge.
A reporter asked whether she still felt she was fighting an uphill battle, echoing comments she made a few weeks ago when her comeback began at Queen’s Club.
“For me the ride has always been uphill,” she said. “There’s only been a few times it’s been downhill. Those are fun times.
“I think that’s just in general. If you want to do something good or great, you have to always push yourself more. Even if it’s easy, you should take the uphill route.”
A glimpse into the mind of a champion unlike any other.
The fact is, only Serena knows why she has returned at 44, and what she hopes to gain from her first Grand Slam match in nearly four years.
She offers clues, but we may have to wait for the autobiography to learn the whole story.
“I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me? Serena, what are you thinking? Are you nuts?’” she said. “Like, you really should do this. People dream of being an athlete. I have this great opportunity to showcase what I do, what I do best.”