Serena may have been eliminated in her first round match at Wimbledon, but that doesn’t mean the Williams sisters are done competing at The Championships.
According to Tennis Channel, Venus Williams has received a wild-card entry into the mixed doubles draw, where she will partner with Jamie Murray. If that name sounds familiar to casual fans, it’s because he is the older brother of tennis star Andy Murray. The duo begins the tournament against Alicja Rosolska and Michael Venus on Friday.
Venus has not played on the tour since a WTA 250 tournament before last year’s U.S. Open. After losing in the first round, she withdrew from the New York based Grand Slam and has not competed since.
As her singles career has slowed down in recent years, the five-time Wimbledon champion has focused more on doubles. Alongside Serena, she has won the women’s doubles title at Wimbledon six times.
Rumors began swirling about Venus’ Wimbledon status shortly after Serena announced her return to the Grand Slam. Her presence around the grounds of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club and in Serena’s box during her match only added fuel to the fire. Fans and commentators speculated that if she did return, it would likely be in the doubles competition.
If Venus is looking to make the best of her opportunity, she picked the right partner. Jamie Murray is a doubles specialist, who is both a two-time mixed doubles Wimbledon champion and seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion.
At 42, it’s no secret that the seven-time Grand Slam champion’s best days are behind her. At this point, Venus is clearly playing because she still loves competing. It’s time tennis fans accept this, take the pressure off and just let Venus—and Serena—enjoy the sport they elevated and changed.
The 2022 Championships at Wimbledon are currently airing on the ESPN networks.