LONDON, June 16 : American great Serena Williams will return to Wimbledon with her sister Venus following a four-year absence after the All England Club gave the pair a doubles wildcard on Tuesday and added a fascinating storyline to this year's tournament.
Serena has 23 Grand Slam singles titles, including seven at Wimbledon, and has also captured six doubles titles at the All England Club playing alongside her older sibling.
The 44-year-old made a long-awaited comeback this month at the Queen's Club Championships, playing doubles with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.
That partnership was cut short after Mboko suffered a knee injury that ruled her out of Wimbledon.
Williams is now gearing up for the grasscourt Grand Slam beginning on June 29 by playing doubles in Berlin this week partnering Karolina Muchova.
Her last match at Wimbledon was in 2022 when she also needed a wildcard and lost to Harmony Tan in the first round.
Wildcards are handed to players whose ranking does not allow them automatic entry and are usually reserved for high-profile players returning from injury or those from the home nation.
But when Williams announced she was returning to the match court after her decision four years ago to "evolve away from tennis" it was likely she would gain a Wimbledon wildcard.
Among those receiving wildcards on the men's side were three-times Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who is set to retire at the end of the season, and former Wimbledon semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov.
Organisers have two more men's singles slots to fill, with 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the reckoning alongside Dan Evans, Nick Kyrgios and Gael Monfils.
French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska of Poland was among the beneficiaries on the women's singles side, where one slot remains to be filled. A second batch of wildcards is expected this week.
In doubles, Katie Boulter and fellow Briton Heather Watson were given a wildcard as a pair.
Read the full article at Channel NewsAsia (CNA) →📄Source document: Instagram post by Lorenzo Musetti
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Channel NewsAsia (CNA)Party-alignedCenter4 days agoItalian tennis player Lorenzo Musetti withdrew from Wimbledon due to a lingering thigh injury. He had already missed the French Open and has not competed since losing to Casper Ruud in the Italian Open in May. Musetti stated that his rehabilitation is progressing well, but he will not be ready for Wimbledon this year.
Bias read (Center): The article provides factual information about a sports event without any political commentary, bias, or framing that suggests a particular ideological stance. The focus is purely on the athlete's health and competition schedule.
Official sources cited
- statement Instagram post by Lorenzo Musetti
Channel NewsAsia (CNA)Party-alignedCenter5 days ago Serena to reignite Venus partnership after receiving Wimbledon doubles wildcardAmerican tennis star Serena Williams will reunite with her sister Venus at Wimbledon after receiving a doubles wildcard. This marks Serena's return to the tournament after a four-year absence. The sisters previously won six doubles titles together at Wimbledon. Serena recently played doubles with Victoria Mboko at the Queen's Club Championships but had to withdraw due to Mboko's injury. Serena will now play doubles in Berlin with Karolina Muchova ahead of Wimbledon, which begins on June 29.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on sports news regarding tennis player Serena Williams and does not involve any political content or controversial issues. It provides factual information about her return to Wimbledon and her upcoming matches without showing any particular ideological bias.
Channel NewsAsia (CNA)Party-alignedCenter9 days ago Canada's Mboko to miss Wimbledon with knee injuryCanada's tennis player Mboko will not participate in Wimbledon due to a knee injury.
Bias read (Center): The headline reports on a sports-related event (Wimbledon) and mentions an athlete's absence due to injury. There is no indication of political framing, biased language, or ideological emphasis. The subject is apolitical and falls under sports news, which typically has low political charge.
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