Williams hints at return for Wimbledon | Coach to work with Halep

Serena Williams has hinted she could make her long-awaited return to court at Wimbledon, exactly a year since she last played on the tour at the same Grand Slam.

Williams, 40, suffered an ankle injury during her first-round match at the Championships last year. She was forced to retire from the match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich and left the court in tears.

She also missed the Olympics in Tokyo and the US Open in 2021 due to a hamstring injury, as well as the Australian Open earlier this year.

During an Instagram story with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers at a Bitcoin conference in Miami, Williams said: "We've been talking about my comeback and he's been hyping me up and getting me ready for Wimbledon. Can't wait!"

When Rodgers asked her about a potential comeback at the US Open, she added: "Wimbledon's before the US Open, I've got to play Wimbledon first. Exciting!"

Wimbledon takes place from June 27 to July 10 this year and Williams has won the famous grass-court major seven times. Her last triumph came in 2016 and she made her debut in SW19 back in 1998.

The 40-year-old has been on the hunt for an elusive 24th major since winning her last Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open. As a result of her time out due to injuries, she has slipped back to 246th in the WTA rankings.

Williams has reached the final in four Grand Slams since giving birth to daughter Olympia in 2017 but lost in straight sets on each occasion.

Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou has announced he will be working with Simona Halep, after Williams "opened the door" for him.

Mouratoglou said he accepted Halep's offer to coach her full-time after receiving the approval of Williams, who he has coached for the last 10 years.

He will take up his new