Seven-time champion Serena Williams will make her return to Wimbledon, but her decision to play singles has raised eyebrows among some in the tennis community.
Williams, 44, was given a wildcard to compete in the women's doubles at Wimbledon and will play alongside her sister Venus, 45. However, her initial omission from the list of singles wildcards has sparked debate, with some questioning her intentions in the sport.
Grand Slam-winning coach Calvin Betton doubts Williams has "serious" intentions in the sport and therefore disagrees with her singles wildcard and the decision to put her on Centre Court. "I don't think you can be doing stuff like this," Betton said. "Isn't it a gateway drug to getting people like Jake Paul in there? He would put bums on seats and give tournaments some marketing reach... Where's all this leading?"
Betton expressed concerns that Williams' return could lead to other retired or inactive players being given wildcards, potentially undermining the integrity of the tournament. "If she was coming back and saying, 'I'm having a run at this, my intention is to get back to the top of the rankings and I want to see how well I can do' then I would be much more sympathetic to it and I would even back it," Betton said.
Williams will face Australia's Maya Joint on Centre Court on Tuesday, following defending women's champion Iga Swiatek and British hopeful Jack Draper. Betton questioned whether Williams should be given a place on Centre Court, saying "you can't logistically put her on Centre Court, I don't think." He suggested that she should be placed on a smaller court, such as Court Two.
Tennis broadcaster George Bellshaw has also questioned Williams' Wimbledon wildcard, but understands why the tournament organizers extended the invitation. "To be consistent with our previous wildcard conversations by the way, I don't think she should get a singles Wimbledon wildcard from a playing perspective," Bellshaw said. "I think they absolutely will give her one though if she asks for it."
However, Novak Djokovic has praised Williams' return, describing it as "inspirational and epic." "What she's doing is inspirational and it's epic," Djokovic said. "That's what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, Venus, as well."
