Does Venus Williams deserve better? Back at Wimbledon for first time since 2023 with huge queues for small court return

Friday, 03 July 2026 at 18:42

Venus Williams celebrating in Bad Homburg

Venus Williams isn't playing in singles this year likely ironically due to her sister Serena Williams taking the final wildcard for her Wimbledon return. But while Serena was given prime placing, the mixed doubles return of Venus was less glamorous.

Questions arose on social media as Venus Williams took to the court with Kevin Krawietz today in mixed doubles to face one of the top seeds in Lloyd Glasspool and Tereza Mihalikova.

Perhaps vindicating their decision was Williams losing quite easily 6-4, 6-4 to the pairing in the second round of the mixed doubles but she was on Court 14, one of the smaller courts that anyone with a ground pass can feasibly watch from.

This of course prompts huge queues to see one of the icons of the game and for a crowd with the mix of those who love tennis and those who are there casually, the thought of seeing Venus Williams is one that no doubt is a big deal.

But only if you can get on the court with some in attendance, calling it very questionable as per the tweet below. Others said that it was anything but and that Venus shouldn't receive special treatment to lose early in every tournament.

Better court placing for tomorrow's doubles match albeit still to be confirmed

But it stirs up the usual debate surrounding wildcards and whether Venus Williams should get them in the first place, which sees contrasting viewpoints across the board. Albeit while she played mixed on a lowly court, she will likely get prime court placement with Venus Williams when they take to the court tomorrow finally for their women's doubles match. The chiefs admitted to bending the rules to allow Serena to have extra time to enable her to play.

The Venus Williams effect outside Court 14. Very questionable scheduling decision, by the way. pic.twitter.com/mm3EBJ6ShR
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) July 3, 2026

Whether she still does or not is a matter still as Serena is still TBD with Venus as to where they will play tomorrow so whether or not it happens remains to be seen.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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