Serena Williams has delighted tennis fans around the world by confirming her participation in this year's Wimbledon Championships.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has been away from the sport for nearly 12 months. Her last appearance was at last year's event at SW19, which ended in sad and emotional scenes.
Williams slipped and took a nasty fall on the grass with the score locked at 3-3 in her opening-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. She had to retire with an injury, and the seven-time champion in London has not played since.
Concerns among Williams' ardent supporters continued to grow the longer the 40-year-old's absence became. Some feared that the legendary American may never return to the sport.
Fortunately, those worries have proved to be unfounded. Williams shared a short but clear post on her Instagram page that confirmed her upcoming presence at this year's Wimbledon Championships.
"SW and SW19. It's a date. 2022, see you there."
The post's content suggests that Williams will not just be playing at Wimbledon. "SW and SW19" indicates she will play a warmup event before Wimbledon, which is very likely to be at the WTA-500 tournament in Eastbourne.
Whether the six-time US Open winner plans to play singles in her preparations for Wimbledon is unclear. Competing in singles the week before the event in London may be risky, so Williams could elect to play doubles instead.
Regardless, having such a massive figure in the sport back on the court is a very exciting prospect. Serena and her sister Venus have done so much for women's tennis over the years, and tournaments always feel slightly more special when one or both are involved.
It will undoubtedly be an emotional moment when Williams steps out again at Wimbledon. Returning from the injury she sustained at the tournament 12 months at her age shows remarkable dedication to the sport.
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