Serena Williams has been spotted on the grass at Wimbledon for the first time since she won the women’s singles title there two years ago.
The seven-time champion has returned to competitive action following the birth of her first child, and is preparing for the start of Wimbledon next week.
She headed out on the practice courts on Thursday afternoon for a hit with her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, and there were plenty of smiles on show as she returned to a place that holds a special place in her heart.
Williams first won the womens’ singles in 2002, before following it up with more triumphs in 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016.
It was at that point that she took some time out to have a baby, subsequently missing the 2017 tournament – which was won by Garbine Muguruza.
Williams is back this year, though, and has been handed a seeding despite her lowly ranking of 183 in the WTA standings.
The 36-year-old has been handed the No 25 seed to ensure that neither she nor other top players can meet each other until the third round at the earliest.
The decision recognises the fact that she missed so much tennis through giving birth in September. She has played only three tournaments and seven matches since then.