Serena Williams Returns to Wimbledon Singles After Nearly Four-Year Absence

The 23-time Grand Slam champion steps back onto Centre Court for her first singles match since 2022, and here is every way to watch it unfold.

Serena Williams is competing in Wimbledon 2026 singles, her first such appearance in nearly four years.
The tournament runs for two weeks across the All England Club's grass courts in southwest London.
U.S. viewers can stream coverage live via ESPN and ESPN+, with some matches available on ABC.
International streaming options vary by territory, with BBC iPlayer carrying free coverage in the UK.
Williams announced her return from retirement earlier this year, making this the tournament's marquee storyline.

The last time Serena Williams played a Wimbledon singles match, it was 2022, the grass was fast, and the conversation was already edging toward legacy rather than scorelines. That conversation just got a lot more complicated.

Williams is back at the All England Club for Wimbledon 2026, entering the singles draw for the first time in nearly four years and immediately reordering the tournament's entire narrative. At 44, she is chasing a record-extending 24th Grand Slam singles title on the surface where she has won seven of them. The draw, the seedings, and the broadcast schedules have all reorganised themselves around her.

For viewers in the United States, the tournament is split across ESPN, ESPN+, and ABC, with ESPN+ carrying the bulk of early-round matches and ABC stepping in for the bigger showcase slots. A cable login or an ESPN+ subscription — currently $11.99 a month — covers most of what the casual viewer will want. Cord-cutters can pick up ESPN+ through Disney Bundle packages or access individual matches via Fubo, Sling, or YouTube TV depending on existing subscriptions.

UK audiences have it simpler: the BBC holds free-to-air rights, with live coverage on BBC One, BBC Two, and the full slate streaming on BBC iPlayer. No subscription required.

Williams’ first singles match is expected to land in the tournament’s opening days, with scheduling confirmed closer to the day of play in the usual Wimbledon fashion. The All England Club’s official app lists order-of-play updates from the evening before each session.

Wimbledon 2026 runs through the second week of July. The women’s singles final is scheduled for Saturday, July 12.