Bill Simons
Only twice in more than three decades has an unranked wildcard arrived at a tournament amid so much hoopla and so riveted the attention of the tennis world.
Both were named Williams.
The first came in October 1994, when a spindly, wide-eyed, 14-year-old Venus Williams walked onto the court at Oakland’s Bank of the West Classic. Much of tennis gathered to see whether Richard Williams’ outlandish boast that his daughter was a fantasy or prophecy. Could his kid put tennis out of joint?
Thirty-two years later, another Williams – who will face Maya Joint at Wimbledon early next week – is again putting tennis out of joint.
A GOAT named Serena, now 44, and the most impactful sportswoman of our era, returns to Wimbledon as an unranked wildcard for her first Grand Slam singles match since the 2022 US Open. Like Venus in 1994, she arrives surrounded by curiosity and skepticism. And when she faces Joint – whether on Centre Court or Court One – the joint will be jumping.
Should Serena win, history will beckon from every angle. She would become the third oldest woman to win a Wimbledon singles match in the Open Era, the oldest wild card ever to win a women’s singles match at Wimbledon, and the oldest mother to ever win a Grand Slam singles match.
If Serena wins, she’ll likely face the rising Filipino phenom, Alexandra Eala, and then perhaps defending champion Iga Świątek.
Of course, if Serena beats Joint, we fear there could be many headlines that assert that Williams put Joint out of joint. Even worse, some shameless writer might dare to claim that, around the world, hippies who dig tennis are lighting up joints. Apologies – we simply couldn’t resist.
In many ways, Joint and Serena are worlds apart. Maya is 20, an Australian and a bright prospect. Yet there’s a surprising Michigan connection. Maya was born in Detroit, while Serena is a native of Saginaw, just 88 miles to the north.
That coincidence brings to mind a reflective passage in Serena’s autobiography: “I drew a line that ran from Ghana to Michigan to California to Florida to Australia.”
Serena last lifted a Grand Slam singles in Australia while pregnant. Now, in what is one of the most high-profile comebacks in sports history, she begins her sixteenth attempt to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
And, yes, there’s another Australian connection. Serena is now being coached by former Australian pro Rennae Stubbs.
Meanwhile Maya, has risen to No. 53 in the world. Last year she captured titles in Rabat and Eastbourne, and her biggest win came against Emma Raducanu.
Should Serena advance and claim her 99th Wimbledon win, records will continue to beckon. Plus, the moment when she and Venus, who’ve combined to win Wimbledon six times, walk out to play doubles will be memorable.
Meanwhile, tennis fans wonder whether this year’s Wimbledon can possibly be as turbulent and improbable as the French Open was a month ago.
Can Jannik Sinner, who withered so badly in the Paris heat, and Iga Świątek, who’s been wobbling recently, defend their Wimbledon titles?
Can Roland Garros champions Alexander Zverev and Mirra Andreeva, both of Russian heritage, achieve the Channel Slam, by winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back?
For the first time since Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open, can an American man finally win a Slam? It helps that a Spanish conquistador named Carlos is still sidelined.
Taylor Fritz, this year’s Halle finalist, who reached the 2025 Wimbledon semifinals, has a formidable task. He’ll face British southpaw Jack Draper, the 2024 US Open semifinalist, in one of the tournament’s best opening-round matches.
American fans will be watching the No. 4 seed, Ben Shelton, who faces the considerable Pole Herbert Hurkacz, and Halle champion Frances Tiafoe, who plays the imposing Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Neither American has reached a Wimbledon semifinal.
Speaking of the red, white and blue, Americans will be wondering whether two-time Slam champion Coco Gauff, who beat Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon when she was just 15, can reverse her recent slump. The No. 7 seed is seeking to exceed her best Wimbledon run by reaching the quarterfinals.
Those who are fond of GOATs are hoping that seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic can, after 11 tries, surpass Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. The 39-year-old will face No. 99 Wu Yibing, the first Chinese man to win an ATP title.
And then there will be one of the most appealing first round matches. In a battle between two of the men with the heftiest chests in ATP history, Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, with his imposing forehand, will face Stan Wawrinka, who owns one of the game’s best backhands and is still hoping to put the men’s game out of joint before he retires this fall.
