"She could lose in the first round or win the tournament" - McEnroe on Serena Williams' chances at Wimbledon

It has been over a week since Serena Williams announced her participation at this year's Wimbledon Championships, which starts in three days, and fans still can't control their excitement.

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While it's one thing for fans to get euphoric, experts feel the need to be more realistic. Speaking to the media about the upcoming edition of Wimbledon and Williams' chances, former American player John McEnroe picked Williams to either lose her first match or go all the way to lifting her eighth title at SW19.

"I would only say that I think she could lose in the first round or win the tournament," McEnroe said.

Former World No. 1 Chris Evert felt that returning after such a long layoff could be difficult.

"I think you can’t expect a whole lot because she’s not match-tough," Evert said. "I think that when you don’t play for a long time, your instincts, it takes a while for your tennis instincts and your tennis IQ to come back.

"It’s hard to really assess how she’s going to play in singles just because you see her playing doubles. I can’t tell how the movement is from side to side, from up to back. The serve looks good. The power is there."

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Seven-time Wimbledon winner Williams has not played a singles match for almost a year, as a result of which, she has slipped to No. 1,204 in the WTA world rankings. The last time she played was in the first round of the 2021 Wimbledon against Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Even before the first set could be completed, Williams suffered a hamstring injury and retired mid-match.

Earlier in June, Wimbledon made public the entry list of players for this year's event and Williams' name was missing. However, the American legend took to social media last week to confirm her entry into the main draw as a wildcard.