Serena Williams set for comeback; Nadal, Swiatek in action on day 2

Serena Williams returns to singles tennis at Wimbledon immediately after a yr away on Tuesday as Rafael Nadal starts his quest to get the 3rd leg of a likely calendar Grand Slam.

Women’s top seed Iga Swiatek, who has received her previous 6 tournaments, will kick off proceedings on Centre Court docket at 1330 community time (1230 GMT) versus Croatian qualifier Jana Fett.

But the main aim will be on seven-time winner Williams, who faces unseeded Harmony Tan of France in her first singles match since an injuries compelled her to pull out of her first-spherical match last 12 months.

Williams, 40, won the past of her Wimbledon singles titles 6 many years in the past but attained the ultimate in 2018 and 2019.

The American, who was provided a wildcard for this year’s event, is caught on 23 Grand Slam singles wins – agonisingly one short of Margaret Court’s all-time file.

Doubts had been rising about whether or not Williams – who has slumped to 1,204th in the environment right after her time period of inaction, would return to the activity.

But she warmed up by teaming up with Ons Jabeur in the doubles at Eastbourne final 7 days and Wimbledon is broadly considered her finest possibility of winning an elusive 24th Grand Slam.

Nadal eyes calendar slam

Nadal is midway to winning all four majors this yr immediately after adhering to up his Australian Open up triumph by profitable his 14th French Open title.

No guy has reached the feat since Ron Laver in 1969, with Novak Djokovic falling just brief last yr when he misplaced in the final of the US Open.

The Spaniard’s get at Roland Garros before this month took him to 22 Grand Slam singles titles – two distinct of Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Nadal won the most current of his two Wimbledon titles in 2010, possessing captured his to start with with an epic triumph over Federer two many years before.

There was a issue mark in excess of his durability for the two months at Wimbledon getting performed the overall French Open up with his troublesome still left foot anaesthetised.

The 36-yr-aged 2nd seed has since gone through a course of radiofrequency stimulation, a procedure aimed at lessening nerve soreness in his foot.

“I can stroll ordinary most of the days, virtually each and every single working day,” claimed Nadal, who faces Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in his opening match.

“When I wake up, I really do not have this suffering that I was possessing for the last 12 months and a 50 percent.”

Swiatek’s previous match was a detailed victory against Coco Gauff in the French Open up remaining – her 35th consecutive win.

Wimbledon will test the Polish best seed’s capability to hold the run heading. Achieving the fourth spherical final year was her greatest effectiveness, even however she was junior champion in 2018.

“Grass is constantly difficult,” mentioned the 21-year-old. “I truly like the portion that I have no expectations there. It’s a little something sort of refreshing.”

Other players in action in the women’s draw on Tuesday involve 2019 champion Simona Halep, who is the 16th seed this yr, and final year’s crushed finalist, Karolina Pliskova.

On the men’s side, fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas usually takes on Switzerland’s Alexander Ritschard although 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini, the eighth seed, performs Chile’s Cristian Garin.