Lookout top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek, No. 3 Elena Rybakina … and No. 7 Coco, too! 

      Starting Tuesday, Serena Williams, aka the GOAT (Greatest of all Time), will be among a much younger field of 128 contenders vying for tennis’ most prestigious singles title – Wimbledon. After a four-year absence from competitive play, unseeded Serena, 44, is a long shot to capture her eighth Wimbledon singles title. She faces world No. 58 Australia’s Maya Joint, 20, Tuesday (1 p.m. ET) in the first round. Nerves will be a factor for both players.

      Some tennis fans, media types and top-ranked pros favor Wimbledon’s decision to grant the former superstar a wild card into the draw. Box office appeal surely was a factor. Others contend that wild cards should go to the game’s rising stars. 

     Three top pros told Yahoo/Sports that they supported Serena’s decision to accept the wild card.  “She’s bringing more eyes on tennis,” Sabalenka told Yahoo/Sports. “It’s a good thing for tennis. I’m really excited to see her play.” 

      Men’s No. 4 Ben Shelton described Serena’s decision as “insanely impressive.”

      Said No. 7 Novak Djokovic: “What she’s doing is inspirational and it’s epic … that’s what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, (her sister) Venus as well.”

      Though she never officially retired, Serena left the WTA Tour four years ago after losing to Croatia’s Ajla Tomlijanaovic in the 2022 U.S. Open third round.  She returned to the women’s tour to play doubles with Canada’s Victoria Mboko at the Berlin Open two weeks ago. The twosome won their first-round match then defaulted in the second round due to Mboko’s knee injury. Thanks to a doubles wild card, the Venus and Serena are scheduled to play a first- round doubles match Thursday in pursuit of their seventh Wimbledon doubles crowns and fifteenth Grand Slam title. Their collection of prestigious doubles achievements includes three Olympic gold medals in Sydney (2000), Beijing (2008) and London (2012). Venus also won the singles Olympic gold in Sydney and Serena added a fourth singles Olympic gold medal in London.

      The Williams sisters began their unexpected impact on the women’s game when Venus, then 17, reached the 1997 U.S. Open final. She was beaten by top-ranked Martina Hingis of Switzerland 6-0, 6-4.  During an after-the-match interview with Richard Williams, the sisters’ father, I told him how impressed I was with Venus’ poise and power. I predicted that she soon would become the women’s tour top-ranked pro. He flashed a sneaky smile, then said, “Wait ‘til you get a load of Serena. She’s going to be better than Venus.”

       Two years later, tennis fans throughout the world ‘got a load’ of Serena, then 17, as she defeated Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in the 1999 U. S. Open final. In February 2002, Venus became the first African American woman to hold the World No. 1 ranking in the play-for pay Open Era, which began in 1968. Serena reached No. 1 for the first time six months later. Serena leads Venus 19 to 12 in head-to-head matchups and holds a bigger lead as Grand Slam champions. (Actually, Althea Gibson became the first African American woman to rise to No. 1 in the 1950s. She won the 1957 French Open, the 1958-59 Wimbledon and the 1958-59 US National before prize money became part of the prizes.)

       Like Venus, Serena says the fire that drove her to become the GOAT no longer exists. Like Venus, Serena plans to play WTA Tour events but only because of her love of the game.

      “I don’t need to win,” Serena told Hello Magazine. “I’ve won more than most people have in their whole lives, so for me it’s not important … it’s important that I keep reminding myself of that, because I don’t have anything to prove. I don’t have anything to lose.  This whole journey, I’m putting no pressure on myself. I’ve had enough pressure.”