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When the next Grand Slam kicks off at the beginning of July, the women's singles draw will have a familiar face after Venus Williams was granted a wild-card entry to Wimbledon on Wednesday.
Williams has won the singles championship five times throughout her storied career, and was a finalist at the grass-court major in 2017, a full two decades after her debut at the All England Club.
When the tournament kicks off on July 3, it will be Williams' 24th appearance in the singles draw.
The 43-year-old is currently ranked No. 697 on the WTA tour, but has made a strong return to play by defeating 48th-ranked Camila Giorgi 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6) in a thrilling first-round match at the Birmingham Classic on Monday.
The victory snapped a 12-match losing streak for the legendary American, and was also her first win over a player in the top 50 in nearly four years, according to ESPN. It was also just her second win since 2021.
She is set to play Jelena Ostapenko next on Thursday in Rothesay.
Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam champion, and the younger sister of Serena Williams, who has won seven times at the All England Club and a record 23 Grand Slam titles. Serena lost in the first round last year and soon after decided to step away from the game.
Besides her five Wimbledon titles, Venus Williams has also won the US Open two times, a tournament she will likely be competing in in 2023 as well.
She was defeated by Spaniard Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 6-0 in the 2017 Wimbledon final, and similar results would exceed all expectations as a wild-card in 2023.
