Venus Williams handed Wimbledon wild card

US Venus Williams attempts to return the ball to Switzerland’s Celine Naef during their women’s singles match on day two of the Libema Open tennis tournament in Rosmalen on June 13, 2023. (Photo by Sander Koning / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT / NETHERLANDS OUT

Five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus Williams has been awarded a wild card for next month’s championships.

The American, who played mixed doubles at the All England Club last year, has not featured in the singles event since 2021 but rolled back the years on Monday to beat Camila Giorgi at the Birmingham WTA event, days after her 43rd birthday.

Williams played her first tournament since January at a grass-court event in the Netherlands last week before heading to Birmingham.

Her three-set victory over Giorgi was her first win against a top-50 opponent since 2019.

Ten singles wild cards have been handed to British male and female players, including Liam Broady and Katie Boulter, while Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will be in the draw after she missed last year’s tournament due to her pregnancy.

Former world number three Svitolina, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2019, gave birth in October but made the quarter-finals at this year’s French Open.

Belgium’s David Goffin, the world number 124, has been handed a wild card following his run to the quarter-finals in 2022.

The All England Club has one more women’s singles and two more men’s singles wild cards to hand out.

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