Did Serena Williams retire? Why is she not playing at Wimbledon 2023? Career and grand slams record

(Getty Images)

Tennis icon Serena Williams is one of the most successful Wimbledon players of all time, winning seven titles and competing in finals over a near 20-year period.

Williams was just 20 when she won her first title at the All England Club in 2002, beating her older sister Venus in the final and going through the entire tournament without losing a single set. She went on to win the competition again the next year in 2003, and then again in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016 and also lost in finals in 2004, 2008 (to her sister Venus) and more recently in 2018 and 2019.

Now 41, Williams has moved away from playing. In 2022, she Williams that she was "evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me" such as her young daughter who was born in 2017.

The Sporting News runs through Williams' career and her Wimbledon record here.

MORE: Serena Williams' net worth

Is Serena Williams playing at the Wimbledon 2023?

Williams is not playing at Wimbledon in 2023. Her absence will mean it's only the second year in which she will not compete in the tournament (barring 2020 when it was cancelled due to Covid-19) since 2006. She was also absent in 2017.

She competed in last year's Wimbledon but suffered a first-round defeat to Harmony Tan.

When did Serena Williams retire?

Williams said she was "evolving away from tennis" in an article in Vogue magazine in August 2022, leading fans to assume that her subsequent appearance at the US Open would serve as her retirement tournament.

However, she also said that she had "never liked the word retirement" – and at a press conference two months later, she called the chances of her returning to action "very high".

"I am not retired," said Williams, adding that not playing for a competition "felt really weird". "You can come to my house; I have a court."

In February 2023, Williams said she was "at peace" with her decision and "leaning in" to her commitment to family life which she said had been the primary motive for her inactivity from tennis.

"I'm like, 'oh my goodness. I gotta get out there'," she added to E News. "But it's hard for me to get out there. I did play the other day, and it's just like, 'there's no way I shouldn't be playing professional tennis'. There's literally no excuse.

"But I mean, I guess there is an excuse, right? It's hard because when I'm playing I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm pretty good at this. I can continue to do this,' which not a lot of people can say." 

Serena Williams Wimbledon record

Serena Williams has won seven Ladies' Singles titles at Wimbledon, she's been a beaten finalist on four occasions and she's also won six Wimbledon doubles titles with her sister Venus as well.

She's the joint second most successful female player at Wimbledon in the open era, level on seven with Steffi Graf. Martina Navratilova, with nine titles, is top of that list.

Year Stage
1998 Third round
1999 Absent
2000 Semifinals
2001 Quarterfinals
2002 Winner
2003 Winner
2004 Runner-up
2005 Third round
2006 Absent
2007 Quarterfinals
2008 Runner-up
2009 Winner
2010 Winner
2011 Fourth round
2012 Winner
2013 Fourth round
2014 Third round
2015 Winner
2016 Winner
2017 Absent
2018 Runner-up
2019 Runner-up
2020 No tournament
2021 First round
2022 First round

Serena Williams grand slam history

Williams has won 23 grand slam titles, which is the most of any player in the open era. Magaret Court won 24 titles, straddling before and after the start of the open era (in 1968). Serena also played in 10 finals in which she didn't win.

Singles finals

Year Tournament Result Opponent
1999 US Open Win Martina Hingis (6–3, 7–6(7–4))
2001 US Open Loss Venus Williams (2–6, 4–6)
2002 French Open Win Venus Williams (7–5, 6–3)
2002 Wimbledon Win Venus Williams (7–6(7–4), 6–3)
2002 US Open Win Venus Williams (6–4, 6–3)
2003 Australian Open Win Venus Williams (7–6(7–4), 3–6, 6–4)
2003 Wimbledon Win Venus Williams (4–6, 6–4, 6–2)
2004 Wimbledon Loss Maria Sharapova (1–6, 4–6)
2005 Australian Open Win Lindsay Davenport (2–6, 6–3, 6–0)
2007 Australian Open Win Maria Sharapova (6–1, 6–2)
2008 Wimbledon Loss Venus Williams (5–7, 4–6)
2008 US Open Win Jelena Janković (6–4, 7–5)
2009 Australian Open Win Dinara Safina (6–0, 6–3)
2009 Wimbledon Win Venus Williams (7–6(7–3), 6–2)
2010 Australian Open Win Justine Henin (6–4, 3–6, 6–2)
2010 Wimbledon Win Vera Zvonareva (6–3, 6–2)
2011 US Open Loss Samantha Stosur (2–6, 3–6)
2012 Wimbledon Win Agnieszka Radwańska (6–1, 5–7, 6–2)
2012 US Open Win Victoria Azarenka (6–2, 2–6, 7–5)
2013 French Open Win Maria Sharapova (6–4, 6–4)
2013 US Open Win Victoria Azarenka (7–5, 6–7(6–8), 6–1)
2014 US Open Win Caroline Wozniacki (6–3, 6–3)
2015 Australian Open Win Maria Sharapova (6–3, 7–6(7–5))
2015 French Open Win Lucie Šafářová (6–3, 6–7(2–7), 6–2)
2015 Wimbledon Win Garbiñe Muguruza (6–4, 6–4)
2016 Australian Open Loss Angelique Kerber (4–6, 6–3, 4–6)
2016 French Open Loss Garbiñe Muguruza (5–7, 4–6)
2016 Wimbledon Win Angelique Kerber (7–5, 6–3)
2017 Australian Open Win Venus Williams (6–4, 6–4)
2018 Wimbledon Loss Angelique Kerber (3–6, 3–6)
2018 US Open Loss Naomi Osaka (2–6, 4–6)
2019 Wimbledon Loss Simona Halep (2–6, 2–6)
2019 US Open Loss Bianca Andreescu (3–6, 5–7)
(Getty Images)

Doubles finals

All doubles partnered with Venus Williams

Year Tournament Result Opponents
1999 French Open Win Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova (6–3, 6–7(2–7), 8–6)
1999 US Open Win Chanda Rubin and Sandrine Testud (4–6, 6–1, 6–4)
2000 Wimbledon Win Julie Halard-Decugis and Ai Sugiyama (6–3, 6–2)
2001 Australian Open Win Lindsay Davenport and Corina Morariu (6–2, 2–6, 6–4)
2002 Wimbledon Win Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez (6–2, 7–5)
2003 Australian Open Win Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez (4–6, 6–4, 6–3)
2008 Wimbledon Win Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur (6–2, 6–2)
2009 Australian Open Win Daniela Hantuchová and Ai Sugiyama (6–3, 6–3)
2009 Wimbledon Win Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs (7–6(7–4), 6–4)
2009 US Open Win Cara Black and Liezel Huber (6–2, 6–2)
2010 Australian Open Win Cara Black and Liezel Huber (6–4, 6–3)
2010 French Open Win Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik (6–2, 6–3)
2012 Wimbledon Win Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká (7–5, 6–4)
2016 Wimbledon Win Tímea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova (6–3, 6–4)

 

Author(s)
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Ben Miller is a content producer for The Sporting News.
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Dominic is a freelance content editor and writer for The Sporting News.
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