One will have Serena Williams’ Wimbledon return in focus when she opens against Maya Joint in the first round. It is her first singles match in nearly four years, and the draw immediately puts a 44-year-old with 23 Grand Slam singles titles back into a Grand Slam bracket.
Williams and Maya Joint
Joint is 20 and arrives with a 3-15 season record. She also won the Eastbourne Open last year, a reminder that the opening round is not a formality even if the numbers point to a clear favorite.
Williams does not need a long route to make this comeback relevant. One win would send her toward Alexandra Eala in the second round, and Eala has already beaten Donna Vekić, Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina this month.
Alexandra Eala and Iga Świątek
That path gets sharper fast. If Williams keeps advancing, Iga Świątek could wait in the third round, turning a manageable first step into a bracket that can punish any slow start.
The draw also brings back the double act of Serena and Venus, who will face Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra in the opening round of doubles. It adds another match with a named opponent, but the singles return still carries the most weight because it is the first one in nearly four years.
Jannik Sinner’s draw
The men’s bracket is built around Jannik Sinner, who was described as having no genuine banana skins in his draw. Novak Djokovic is the biggest obstacle there, and the seven-time Wimbledon champion sits as the most dangerous name in Sinner’s way.
Daniil Medvedev is another possible hurdle, but he would have to reach the quarterfinals to meet Sinner again after beating him at Wimbledon a couple years ago. Wimbledon begins on Monday in London, so the draw now turns into a test of how far the favorites can carry their position on the page and on court.
