Serena Williams granted wild-card entry to Wimbledon singles but is long shot in tennis odds for eighth title
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- Serena Williams was granted a wild-card entry to Wimbledon singles on Sunday, her first Grand Slam singles appearance since a 2022 US Open third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanović
- DraftKings lists Serena as a +3500 long shot, while world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the women's favorite at +330; Serena hasn't won a Wimbledon singles match since 2019
- Venus Williams (46), a five-time Wimbledon singles champion, received a wild card for doubles only; the sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including six at Wimbledon
- Serena spent six months in the anti-doping testing pool and became eligible to enter events in February; she recently won a doubles match with Victoria Mboko at the HSBC Championships in London
- The first-round draw is Friday, with play beginning June 29; top American Coco Gauff sits at +1200, and a Gauff–Serena first-round matchup is possible per the betting board
Why it matters: Serena enters at +3500 odds after a nearly three-year WTA singles absence, despite grass being her best surface historically (87% career win rate). The Friday draw could pair her with top American Coco Gauff, but a first-round exit — as happened in 2022 against Harmony Tan — is the most probable outcome per bookmakers.
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