Wimbledon is almost here, but this week belonged to Serena Williams. Her return to competition, reunion with Venus, and growing influence on the business side of tennis dominated the conversation as the sport completed its final preparations for the grass-court major season.
Serena Williams Receives Wimbledon Singles Wildcard: Sunday night’s announcement of a singles wild card for Serena confirms that this comeback just got serious. Full Story: The Athletic
Serena Williams Reveals Who Convinced Her to Make Tennis Comeback at Wimbledon: “My daughter, Olympia, told me I should play with Venus,” Serena Williams told reporters at the Berlin Tennis Open. “She’s always right, so I was like, okay.” Full Story: People
How Serena Williams’ tennis comeback evoked competing emotions after four years away: Serena Williams’ comeback generated enormous excitement. Beyond the curiosity of seeing one of the sport’s greatest champions compete again, her return also carried a more personal dimension. Williams has spoken about wanting her children to see her play professional tennis, offering them a chance to experience firsthand the competitor who helped reshape the sport. Full Story: The Athletic
Williams sisters receive Wimbledon doubles wildcard: American superstars Serena Williams and Venus Williams will return to Wimbledon action together after they were handed a wildcard to compete in the women’s doubles. Full Story: BBC
How are Wimbledon wildcards decided? Wildcard places are extra spots given to players who did not qualify automatically, usually through their ranking, for a tennis tournament. They have been awarded at Wimbledon since 1977 and are at the discretion of the committee of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Places are often awarded to players based on their previous performances at Wimbledon, or to increase British participation in the competition.They can also go to star names from the sport who have fallen down the rankings but whose presence could lift the tournament. Full Story: BBC
Tennis stakeholders rush to capitalize on Serena Williams’ return: When a star appears in your sky — and you could argue, in tennis, Serena Williams is one of the brightest stars that’s ever been — whether it’s something with permanence or whether it’s a shooting star, you take advantage of it all while it lasts. Full Story: Sports Business Journal
A Day at the BOSS OPEN: Style, Cuisine, and Grass Court Tennis: Stuttgart tends to bring out the ATP’s top talents, and BOSS spares no expense in welcoming them. While world-class tennis remains a top priority, the partnership with BOSS offers the tournament the opportunity to also invest in fashion and lifestyle. Full Story: Sports Illustrated
Laver Cup heads to Los Angeles for 2027: The Laver Cup, the intercontinental tennis competition that has aspired to be the sport’s version of golf’s Ryder Cup, will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the tech-centric home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers in 2027. Full Story: The Athletic
Tennis Stars Have Eyes On World Cup: As the world’s best tennis players turn their focus to the grass-court season, many will also have an eye on manicured lawns thousands of miles away as the United States, Mexico and Canada host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Full Story: BNP Paribas Open
USTA Connect launches Innovation Challenge to find tennis’ next high-impact tech solution: The USTA launched the inaugural USTA Connect Innovation Challenge, a nationwide open-call for startups and engineers to submit applications, products or other tech solutions that have a direct and positive impact on the game of tennis for a $10,000 winner’s prize and potential further integration into the USTA and tennis technology ecosystem. Full Story: USTA
92-year-old tennis player: ‘Just keep moving’: 92 years old, Don Walters hasn’t lost his love of the game, but he may have lost a step or two. The last point is highly debatable among the tennis group Don plays with twice a week. Full Story: Positively Fort Wayne
A Stupid Way to Ruin a Tennis Court: Individuals shooting fireworks from public park tennis courts damaged the acrylic coating and the underlying asphalt in Evanston Illinois. Full Story: Evanston Round Table
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 6/21-27 | Bad Homburg Open Powered by SolarWatt | WTA 500 | Germany |
| 6/22-27 | Lexus Eastbourne Open | WTA 250 ATP 250 | Great Britain |
| 6/21-27 | Vanda Pharmaceuticals Mallorca Championships | ATP 250 | Spain |
