The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, Serena Williams made a tearful exit in the first round 12 months ago after retiring during the first set against Aliaksandra Sasnovich due to a leg injury.
Williams is set for a surprise return to Wimbledon a year after her last match, as doubts have been growing about whether she would return to the sport.
On Tuesday Williams posted on Instagram: “SW and SW19. It’s a date. 2022 see you there.”
Intriguingly, the 40-year-old also tagged Eastbourne in her post, indicating she could potentially play in next week’s Rothesay International Eastbourne.
It is unclear whether Williams, now ranked a lowly 1208, is intending to play singles or doubles, which is less demanding physically.
Williams could have entered using a protected ranking reserved for players who have been sidelined through a long-term injury but did not do so and will therefore need a wild card.
The initial batch of wild cards for singles and doubles will be announced on Wednesday.
Tennis has been conspicuous by its absence in most of Williams’ Instagram posts over the last year, with the focus on her business ventures and life as a mother to four-year-old daughter Olympia.
Suspicions that she had effectively retired grew when her long-time coach Patrick Mouratoglou revealed in April that he had taken on a new role with Simona Halep.
Wimbledon is widely considered Williams’ best chance of claiming a 24th slam singles crown to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record.
She has twice reached the final since returning from maternity leave in 2018, losing to Angelique Kerber that summer and Halep the following year.
In a related development, Bayern Munich make a third offer for Liverpool’s Mane
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are set to make a third offer worth 40 million euros (41.8 million dollars) for Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, a German media report indicated on Tuesday.
It said the Munich club’s leadership has approved the offer made up of a transfer fee of 35 million euros plus up to five million euros in add-ons.
The report also said the Senegal captain has agreed on personal terms of a three-year contract with the German top side.
The 30-year-old Mane came to Liverpool in 2016 and his Anfield contract is until 2023.
Bayern Munich reportedly has had two lower offers for Mane rejected by Liverpool.
The Germans want Mane because the future of their winger Serge Gnabry and that of star striker Robert Lewandowski is unclear.
Both are contracted until 2023 and Lewandowski has said he wants to leave in the summer with Bayern Munich however saying they would not allow that.
Bayern Munich had late Monday announced the signing of Dutch midfield talent Ryan Gravenberch on a five-year contract.
The 20-year-old is their second summer transfer and like defender Noussair Mazraoui arrives from Ajax Amsterdam.
While Mazraouni joins Bayern Munich on a free transfer, the fee for Gravenberch, whose Ajax contract was until 2023, was named at 18.5 million euros by Ajax.
There is also up to 5.5 million euros in add-ons, while Ajax will get 7.5 percent of the sum Bayern Munich would generate should they sell the Dutch international.
“Ryan Gravenberch is a young, highly interesting player who lots of Europe’s top clubs would have liked to have signed,” Bayern Munich’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Oliver Kahn said, naming players like Gravenberch as “important for Bayern Munich’s future path.”
Gravenberch will be competing in the Bayern Munich midfield against the likes of Germany players Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka but he appears ready for the challenge.
“When the offer came from FC Bayern, I didn’t have to think about it for long. FC Bayern is one of the biggest clubs around. Players from all over the world want to play for this club,” he said.
