local
Serena Williams gave herself a pep talk to play singles at Wimbledon at age 44
By Associated Press at KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC)
· June 28, 2026
· 4 min read
Serena Williams had to talk herself into accepting Wimbledon's offer to play singles.The All England club was holding one last wild card entry and the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion — who had already announced she'd play doubles with her sister Venus — had a decision to make.“I thought I sho...
Key takeaway The All England club was holding one last wild card entry and the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion — who had already announced she'd play doubles with her sister Venus — had a decision to make.
Why this matters in The Pearland
For tennis enthusiasts in Pearland , Serena Williams' decision to play singles at Wimbledon is a thrilling development, especially given her storied history at the grass-court Grand Slam. As a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, Williams' participation is likely to draw significant interest from local fans who have followed her career. Her matchup against 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia on Centre Court will be closely watched, particularly as it marks Williams' first singles match at Wimbledon since 2022. The fact that Williams had to convince herself to take the wild card entry speaks to the high stakes and pressure that come with competing at the highest level, even for a legend like Williams. As the Pearland community tunes in to watch Williams' evolving tennis comeback, they will be eager to see how she performs against a younger generation of players like Joint.
About this story
Original reporting by KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) . The Pearland surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
For the complete original report, visit KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) . Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom .
Category: local ·
Published: June 28, 2026 ·
Source: KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) ·
Reading time: 4 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Serena Williams had to talk herself into accepting Wimbledon's offer to play singles.The All England club was holding one last wild card entry and the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion — who had already announced she'd play doubles with her sister Venus — had a decision to make.“I thought I sho...
When was this published? This article was first published on June 28, 2026 by KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC) and curated for The Pearland readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Associated Press at KPRC 2 / Click2Houston (NBC). To learn more about how The Pearland selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The Pearland, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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