Williams Sisters Will Return To Wimbledon Playing Doubles On A Wild-Card Invitation Together For The First Time In A Decade
Serena and Venus Williams are heading back to Wimbledon together, bringing one of tennis’ most iconic doubles teams back to the grass courts where they helped redefine the sport.
The All England Club has awarded the Williams sisters a wild-card invitation into the women’s doubles draw at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships, which begins June 29 in London. The announcement marks the first time Serena and Venus will play doubles together at Wimbledon since 2016, when they won their sixth Wimbledon doubles title.
“Back together, at Wimbledon,” the tournament announced on Instagram, welcoming the sisters back in their signature tennis whites.
The return comes after Serena, 44, recently stepped back onto the court for doubles play after nearly four years away from competition. Following her Queen’s Club return, she joked about why she came back, saying, “I guess I’ve got nothing better to do, I’m tired of sitting at home, my kids are out of school this summer so why not?”
Why The Williams Sisters’ Wimbledon Return Matters
For longtime tennis fans, this is more than a nostalgia run. Serena and Venus Williams built one of the most dominant doubles partnerships in tennis history, winning 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including six at Wimbledon.
Their last Wimbledon doubles appearance together ended with a championship in 2016. Their most recent doubles match as a team came at the 2022 U.S. Open, shortly before Serena described herself as “evolving” away from professional tennis rather than formally retiring.
Now, the sisters are returning at a different stage of life and legacy. Serena is a mother of two and has expanded her work in business, sports ownership and media. Venus, 46, has continued building her ventures in wellness, design and entrepreneurship while remaining connected to the sport she helped transform.
Before the trophies, global fame and sold-out stadiums, Serena and Venus were two young girls learning tennis on public courts in Compton, California. Guided by their parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, the sisters developed a game rooted in power, discipline and belief.
Venus turned professional in 1994, followed by Serena in 1995. By the end of the decade, the tennis world had changed. Serena won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1999 U.S. Open, and the sisters quickly became a force together in doubles.
Their rise was never only about winning. With their beaded braids, bold confidence and pride in their Compton roots, the sisters challenged old ideas about who belonged in tennis. They brought new audiences to the sport and opened doors for a generation of players who followed.
Between 1999 and 2016, Serena and Venus collected 22 WTA doubles titles together. Their Grand Slam doubles record remains especially striking: 14 finals, 14 wins.
Along with their Wimbledon dominance, the sisters also won Olympic doubles gold medals in 2000, 2008 and 2012. Their chemistry made them nearly impossible to solve. Serena’s power and return game paired with Venus’ reach, athleticism and net presence created a partnership that could overwhelm opponents from every angle.
Even when they faced each other across the net in singles, their bond remained central to their story. From 1998 to 2020, the sisters played each other 31 times, with Serena winning 19 of those matches. Their rivalry was real, but so was the family foundation underneath it.
How Serena And Venus Changed Tennis
The Williams sisters changed women’s tennis in ways that stretched beyond the scoreboard. Their athleticism raised the level of the game. Their visibility expanded the sport’s audience. Their presence challenged tennis institutions that had long been defined by exclusivity.
Venus also helped push Wimbledon toward equal prize money for men and women, publicly challenging the tournament’s pay structure in 2005. Wimbledon and the French Open later joined the other Grand Slam tournaments in awarding equal prize money.
Today, their influence can be seen in players such as Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka and Sloane Stephens, all of whom followed a path the Williams sisters helped clear.
A Legacy That Reaches Beyond The Baseline
Away from tennis, Serena and Venus have become business leaders, investors, designers, producers and sports team owners. Both have held stakes in the Miami Dolphins, while Serena has also invested in women’s sports ventures including Angel City FC and the Toronto Tempo.
Their careers have become a blueprint for ownership and longevity. They did not just win in a sport that was not built with them in mind. They changed the business around it.
Whether this Wimbledon return ends with another title or simply one more walk onto the court together, the moment carries weight. Serena and Venus Williams are not just returning to doubles. They are returning to a stage they helped make bigger.
