Serena Williams will step back onto Centre Court at Wimbledon this summer, returning to singles competition after being granted the final wildcard by the All England Club.

The announcement ends months of speculation about whether the 23-time Grand Slam champion would attempt a singles comeback. Williams, 44, retired from professional tennis at the 2022 U.S. Open, but her decision to resume doubles earlier this season hinted at unfinished business.

Her return to singles marks her first appearance in nearly four years, reigniting excitement among fans and raising questions about how competitive she can be at this stage of her career.

Williams is a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, with her last triumph coming in 2016. However, her recent experiences at the tournament have been difficult. In 2021, she suffered a serious hamstring injury in the opening round. A year later, she lost to Harmony Tan in the first round, a defeat many believe influenced her determination to return.

She has not won a singles match at Wimbledon since 2019, making this comeback both a challenge and an opportunity to end her career at the All England Club on a stronger note.

Williams resumed competitive play in doubles earlier this month, partnering Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club before Mboko withdrew due to injury. She later teamed up with Karolina Muchova in Berlin, losing in the opening round but expressing satisfaction with her performance.

Since then, she has been training on the grass courts at Wimbledon, preparing for the physical demands of singles competition. While doubles requires less movement, singles will test her endurance and agility.

The All England Club had only one singles wildcard left when the announcement was made. With the qualifying draw set to be published, officials confirmed Williams as the recipient, ensuring her place in the main draw.

Her inclusion adds star power to the tournament and offers fans the chance to witness one of the sport’s greatest champions compete again on the iconic grass courts.

Williams’s comeback is not just about results. At 44, she faces the reality that singles tennis demands far more physically than doubles. Yet her career has been defined by defying expectations.

Her victory over then-world No. 2 Anett Kontaveit at the 2022 U.S. Open showed she could still compete at the highest level. Whether she can replicate that form at Wimbledon remains uncertain, but her presence alone elevates the tournament.

The news has sparked excitement across the tennis world. Fans and analysts see her return as a chance to close her Wimbledon chapter differently. For many, it is less about titles and more about celebrating her enduring influence on the sport.

Serena Williams’s singles comeback at Wimbledon is both a sporting and symbolic moment. With a wildcard entry, she has the chance to rewrite her final chapter at the All England Club. Whether she advances deep into the draw or not, her return underscores her refusal to shy away from challenges and her lasting impact on tennis.

*Says call for resignation of Tinubu borne out of conspiracy to remove President, not patriotism

An opposition member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has faulted recent calls by the Minority Caucus of the House for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign over the country’s security challenges, describing such demands as politically motivated and unhelpful to efforts aimed at addressing insecurity.

Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, said tackling insecurity requires collective national responsibility and stronger collaboration with security agencies rather than what he termed “mere opposition rhetorics.”

The lawmaker who is a member of the Labour Party (LP) and Deputy Spokesperson of the House, was reacting to comments credited to the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Fred Agbedi, who recently urged President Tinubu to either resolve the nation’s security and economic challenges or resign from office.

Agbese, who is also an opposition lawmaker, argued that calls for the President’s resignation at a time security forces are intensifying operations against criminal elements across the country amounted to playing politics with national security.

According to him, the security situation in the country, though challenging, cannot be addressed through inflammatory statements or partisan attacks on the government.

He said, “The issue of insecurity is a national challenge that requires the collective support of all Nigerians. What we need at this critical time is partnership with our armed forces and security agencies, not rhetoric designed to score political points.”

The lawmaker maintained that members of the opposition should channel their energies towards supporting security institutions and offering practical solutions rather than making calls capable of undermining ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability.

“I am afraid, the Leader of the Minority who is yet to settle down to work has jumped into narrow conclusion that point to MPs being adversely maneuvered from outside the parliament by forces interested in President Tinubu’s job for 2027. Some of us in the opposition will not accept that”, he said.

Agbese further alleged that the demand for Tinubu’s resignation was driven more by political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections than genuine concern for the welfare of Nigerians.

“The call for the resignation of President Tinubu is not borne out of patriotism. It appears to be part of a broader conspiracy by some political actors who are desperate to remove the President from office through every available means,” he said.

He noted that security challenges confronting Nigeria predate the current administration and require sustained commitment, intelligence gathering, improved funding and cooperation among all stakeholders.

Agbese noted that the House of Representatives had recently invited the Security Chiefs for an interaction on the security challenges in the country which will take place soon.

The Benue lawmaker commended members of the Armed Forces, intelligence agencies and other security operatives for their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
He urged Nigerians to rally behind the military and security agencies, stressing that public confidence and support were essential to winning the war against insecurity.

“Our armed forces are making enormous sacrifices daily. Instead of demoralising them through political attacks, we should encourage them and provide the support needed for them to succeed,” he said.

Agbese also expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s commitment to addressing the country’s security challenges, noting that the administration had continued to invest in security operations and strengthen the capacity of security agencies.

He called on political leaders across party lines to place national interest above partisan considerations and work together to confront the security threats facing the country.

According to him, lasting peace and security can only be achieved through unity, cooperation and a shared commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Belgian World Cup ambitions were shaken following a group game clash against Iran during which they had to contend with the handicap of a red card for a large portion of the match. The Europeans, nevertheless, managed to stem the Iranian onslaught and fought for a share of the spoils, which eventually ended goalless.

The encounter opened as evenly contested, as the teams probed for an early advantage, Belgium trying to make their passing game count and Iran on the counter. Few chances were created in the opening stages, the encounter being more of an engaging toe-to-toe skirmish until Belgium’s World Cup match was turned on its head halfway through the first period when one of their players was sent off. The resulting sending off saw Belgium quickly reassess and regroup to contain their adversaries.

Iran suddenly found an avenue for advancement and continued to advance toward Belgium’s goals, but the defensive efforts by their opponents were commendable and were marshalled superbly by Belgium’s goalkeeper, who came up with a series of key stops to thwart Iranian efforts in their quest to break the deadlock.

At ten men, Belgium’s defenders put their defensive acumen to good use as they packed their box, blocked all the attacking avenues available to Iran and were efficient in clearing out all the dangerous crosses into the box. Belgium, on their part, did very few attacking sorties during the match, but managed a handful of counter-attack opportunities which did put the Iranian backline on edge, though they appeared more concerned about survival.

Iran made the best of the advantage by dominating possession but fell short when it came to the cutting edge in front of goal. The long-range shots either flew over the bar or were saved by Belgium’s net-minder, and any attempted cross either flew outside the parameters or was comfortably cleared by the vigilant Belgium defence.

Despite their commanding possession, the Iran team were unable to find their way through the Belgian walls that effectively sealed all approaches to the Belgium goals.

Belgium put up a remarkable show of discipline and organisation to hold the opposition. Belgium defended their citadel stoutly to ensure a point to be earned, while Iran, on the other hand, will feel a tinge of disappointment at having let a valuable victory slip by virtue of their failure to make use of a golden opportunity of getting ahead. The results have kept both teams in contention to march into the knock-out rounds.

Belgium, although they did not set out for such result but under such circumstances, managed to earn an important point.
In order to do that, they will have to make considerable adjustments due to the absence of one player, and discipline will play an important role in future matches, while Iran should enhance their striking options in the days to come.

In addition to their sheer resolve, the Belgium defence put up an inspirational display of how to defend at ten men. They made a clear case of the role discipline could play even in a situation of overwhelming pressure, and their custodian was the last man between Iran’s victory hopes of Iran.