'I think it will be difficult' - Serena Williams an outsider for Wimbledon glory, says Tim Henman

Tim Henman feels Serena Williams is an outside contender for Wimbledon glory, but suggests it would be foolish to dismiss the 23-time major champion. Williams has been sighted on court only twice since her withdrawal against Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round of last year’s Wimbledon. Ad/> A leg injury kept her out of last year’s US Open and this season’s Australian Open, while she elected to sidestep the French Open.

WimbledonRaducanu to face Van Uytvanck in Wimbledon opener, Williams returnsYESTERDAY AT 09:46 Her appearance at Wimbledon was confirmed earlier this month, and she made her playing return in the doubles alongside Ons Jabeur at the Eastbourne International. The pair won their first two matches, before being forced to pull out of the semi-finals due to an injury sustained by Jabeur. Doubles encounters offered little insight into Williams’ fitness and form, and she has been largely dismissed by the bookmakers — with the 40-year-old freely available to back at 25/1.

Henman feels that is reflective of Williams’ chances at SW19, but that it would be folly to write off someone who has won Wimbledon on seven occasions. “I think it will be difficult (for Williams to win Wimbledon),” Henman, who operates as a pundit for Eurosport, told Insider. “But when you've got her grass-court pedigree and you've got her success and her ability on these courts, anything's possible.