Five-time champion Venus Williams, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina receive wildcards to Wimbledon

American Williams will be making her 24th appearance at Wimbledon

AI / Reuters / Panoramic

June 21, 2023

Five-time champion Venus Williams and Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will play at Wimbledon next month after they were handed wildcards by the All England Club on Wednesday.

For the 43-year-old Williams, it will be a 24th appearance in the main draw of the women’s singles, while Svitolina returns after missing last year’s event because she was pregnant.

Five-time champion Venus Williams will play her 24th #Wimbledon this year after being handed a wild card.

Elina Svitolina also on the initial list, plus the usual smattering of Brits. pic.twitter.com/r6J0tDh4C8

— Andy Schooler (@SchoolerSport) June 21, 2023

Venus set to make more history

Already one of the most celebrated figures in modern tennis history, Venus Williams could put her name in the history books again this summer.

Should she win her first-round match, she would overtake Kimiko Date (aged 42 in 2013) to win a match at Wimbledon.

It will also be a record-extending 92nd Grand Slam main draw appearance, dating back to her Grand Slam debut, in the French Open in 1997. The American won the title for the first time in 2000, successfully defended it in 2001 and added three more titles, in 2005, 2007, 2008. She is also a six-time doubles champion at Wimbledon with sister Serena Williams.

Svitolina back after birth of daughter

Svitolina, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2019, is back in the field for the first time since 2021, having missed last year’s event as she was pregnant.

The 28-year-old made a stunning return to Grand Slam tennis in Paris earlier this month, reaching the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros.

Britons dominate rest of wildcards

Five British women will also receive a wildcard, with Katie Boulter, the winner in Nottingham last week, Jodie Burrage, the runner-up in Nottingham, Harriet Dart, Katie Swan and Heather Watson all taking their places in the main draw. One more women’s wildcard has yet to be named.

On the men’s side, Liam Broady leads a list of five British men, including Jan Choinsky, Arthur Fery, George Loffhagen and Ryan Peniston joining former top10 player David Goffin of Belgium in the main draw. Two more wildcards have yet to be named.

John Isner and Jack Sock were handed a wildcard in the men’s doubles, while Gordon Reid and Lucy Shuker received wildcards into their respective wheelchair events.