As most tennis fans likely know, Serena Williams is returning to play singles at Wimbledon in 2026. Fellow great Novak Djokovic summed up Williams' return by offering two words about the WTA icon that fans will agree with. She is "truly inspirational."
To be fair to Djokovic, too, both players are able to inspire others. Each went through their careers with high-end focus, doing all the right things to capture so many titles and stay at No. 1 so long. Now, even well past the usual expiration date for a professional tennis player, they could both contend for the Wimbledon crown.
Asked ahead of the grass-court major during a media session about the 44-year-old Serena Williams coming back, the 39-year-old Djokovic didn't mince words. Not only was Serena an inspiration, he said, but so was her sister, Venus.
Novak Djokovic sums up Serena Williams in two perfect words
Djokovic said, "First and foremost, what she's doing is inspirational, and it's epic. That's what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, Venus' as well...whatever happens, what she's doing is truly inspirational for me personally -- I'm sure for millions around the world."
The Serbian also hit on a question many are asking. Sure, Serena Williams is returning to tennis, but after not playing singles since the 2022 US Open, what can fans truly expect of her? Returning at all is great, of course, but coming back and losing in her first match would feel a bit underwhelming.
She definitely doesn't have an easy draw overall. Williams opens with Maya Joint, a 20-year-old who has ranked as high as No. 28 and has won a grass-court tournament before. That was in 2025 at the Eastbourne Open. Williams should push past the Australian, though.
In the second round, Williams could be facing rising star Alexandra Eala. The Filipina hasn't yet reached high-end success, but she has the skill level to do so. Her best surface isn't necessarily grass, and maybe Williams can stun the tennis world and beat Eala, too.
That is when things can really get difficult. In round three, a potential matchup with Iga Swiatek looms. Swiatek isn't having her best year on tour, but she won Wimbledon last season. She can definitely do it again this year.
The hope, of course, is that Serena Williams shocks everybody, maybe even including herself, and makes a deep run at the grass-court Grand Slam. Anything is possible with the player, and she's proven that. If she reaches the final, she will show Novak Djokovic to be a soothsayer: The run would be "truly inspirational."
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