Serena Williams calls anti-doping rules 'exhausting' ahead of Wimbledon singles return

Return to singles after four years

Serena Williams will play her first singles match since the 2022 US Open when she faces Australia's Maya Joint in the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. The American, a seven-time singles champion at the All England Club, received a wild card into the draw. She will also compete in doubles alongside her sister Venus, 46, with the pair taking on Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.

Anti-doping frustrations

Williams revealed that the sport's whereabouts rules were a major deterrent to her comeback. Since autumn 2025, she has been required to provide daily location details for out-of-competition testing. She runs a venture capital firm, travels globally and has two children, making the obligation particularly burdensome. "It's exhausting," she said. "I hate it. I think it's necessary, but there must be a way to make it all more reasonable." She questioned whether the system meant she could not pick up her children. The comments came days after the International Tennis Integrity Agency handed Marketa Vondrousova a four-year ban for refusing a test.

I hate it. I think it's necessary, but there must be a way to make it all more reasonable.

Venus excited for doubles reunion

Venus Williams, a five-time singles champion at Wimbledon, said she was impatient to team up with her sister again. "It's really very special," she said. The sisters last won the Wimbledon doubles title together in 2016, one of their six trophies at the event. Venus added that Serena had "absolutely nothing left to prove."

We have a beautiful history here and it's nice to be able to come back in 2026. I'm excited that we're playing together.

Questions over competitiveness

Serena's return has sparked debate about her ability to compete at the top level. Her former coach Patrick Mouratoglou said, "Nothing is impossible for Serena," adding that she would not come back to be average. Williams played two doubles matches in June, winning one and losing one, but her singles form remains unknown. Some reports have linked her weight loss to a hormone product promoted by the company Ro, for which she is a brand ambassador, though Williams has not addressed this directly.

Nothing is impossible for Serena.