Serena Williams, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal are back at Wimbledon. Can they ace it yet again?

There were nerves at Wimbledon on Friday when the draws for this year’s championship were made. Which luckless soul would land a first-round match against the woman currently ranked 1,204? That loaded fate fell to the appealingly named French player Harmony Tan, herself world No 113. At that moment, the other 126 women in the singles competition could breathe a sigh of relief that they would not after all be facing number 1,204, better known as Serena Williams.

For virtually all of the 21st century, playing Serena Williams at Wimbledon has been tantamount to an on-court death sentence. The 40-year-old American has won seven singles titles (and seven doubles titles) in 20 visits. But, as recently as a month ago, there was doubt that we would ever see her on the grass at the All England Club again – or perhaps any tennis court. She left Wimbledon distraught last year after slipping and aggravating a hamstring injury in the first round. She hasn’t played a competitive singles match since.

But the lure of Wimbledon – and a chance to win that elusive, record-equalling 24th major title – proved too much. And she is not the only big name making a welcome return to SW19. Andy Murray, the 35-year-old, two-time Wimbledon champion, is back again, and in the best form since he had his second hip operation – the “resurfacing” – in 2019.

On grass in Stuttgart earlier this month, he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, the world No 5, and Nick Kyrgios, and improved his ranking to 47. Murray has been hampered of late by an abdominal injury but will still be the favourite against Australia’s James Duckworth in the first round at Wimbledon.

For Andrew Castle, the BBC commentator, the big unknown is Serena Williams’s form: “I thought Serena was done.