For the first time in nearly a decade, Serena and Venus Williams, at 44 and 45 respectively, will hopefully walk onto Centre Court in London together during the tournament after Thursday’s match was postponed to compete in doubles at Wimbledon.
While Serena also accepted a wildcard into the singles draw and fell after a grueling, high-energy match on Tuesday, the sisters accepted a doubles wildcard in late May. They last played doubles together at Wimbledon in 2016.
Their return is generating plenty of anticipation all on its own, but it also comes as Black representation in tennis continues to grow.
From reigning champions and Grand Slam winners to rising teenagers and first-time contenders, Black talent is behind the racket in full force this year. At least 15 Black players are competing in the singles draw, including Serena, representing several different countries, while at least 13 are competing in doubles and have or will grace Centre Court during the tournament. As Wimbledon, which lasts through July 12, continues, we’re rounding up the Black players you should keep on your radar.
The men
Félix Auger-Aliassime, 25
Canada’s top-ranked men’s player, hailing from Montreal, entered Wimbledon as the No. 3 seed. He advanced to the third round after defeating Dino Prizmic in straight sets and will next face American qualifier Michael Zheng.
Frances Tiafoe, 28
Hyattsville, Maryland’s own, continues to carry the flag for American men’s tennis as the tournament’s No. 17 seed. He opened with a win over Terence Atmane and is scheduled to face Jan Choinski in the second round.
Ben Shelton, 23
One of the biggest servers in the men’s game, the Atlanta-born, Gainesville-raised American entered Wimbledon as the No. 4 seed. His tournament came to an early end after a grueling five-set loss to Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen.
Arthur Fils, 22
France’s rising star arrived at Wimbledon as the No. 20 seed. He defeated Raphael Collignon in the opening round before falling to Matteo Berrettini in the second.
Gabriel Diallo, 24
Fresh off a breakout season, the Canadian advanced when Benjamin Bonzi retired during their five-set opener. His run ended in another marathon five-set battle against Lorenzo Sonego.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 22
Standing 6-foot-7 with one of the tour’s biggest serves, the Frenchman remains one of tennis’ most intriguing young talents. He bowed out in the opening round after a four-set loss to Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
The women
Coco Gauff, 22
Fresh off her French Open title, the Atlanta-raised American entered Wimbledon as the No. 7 seed. She survived a second-round scare by rallying past Solana Sierra in a deciding-set tiebreak and now faces fellow American Claire Liu.
Naomi Osaka, 28
The four-time Grand Slam champion is once again making noise on grass. Representing Japan, Osaka opened with a straight-sets win over Elsa Jacquemot while debuting yet anothe high concept high fashion ensemble, this time a custom “Kill Bill”-inspired white outfit, and now faces Daria Kasatkina.
Taylor Townsend, 30
Already one of the world’s best doubles players, the Chicago native made history in 2025 as the first mother to reach World No. 1 in women’s doubles. Although she fell to Iga Swiatek in singles, she’s still competing in doubles alongside top-seeded partner Kateřina Siniaková.
Madison Keys, 31
The reigning Australian Open champion continues to build on the best season of her career. The Illinois native, seeded No. 26, advanced to the third round by defeating Britain’s Katie Swan in straight sets.
Jasmine Paolini, 30
Last year’s Wimbledon finalist showed her trademark resilience in the opening round. The Italian battled back from a 6-0 first-set loss to defeat Robin Montgomery and next faces Viktorija Golubic.
Tyra Caterina Grant, 18
One of the sport’s brightest teenage prospects, Grant recently switched her allegiance from the United States back to Italy. After battling through qualifying and upsetting Katie Boulter in the first round, her run ended in the second against Marie Bouzková.
Alycia Parks, 25
Known for one of the fastest serves in women’s tennis, the Atlanta-born American advanced through the opening round before falling to Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the second.
Robin Montgomery, 21
The Washington, D.C., native has steadily climbed the rankings since winning both girls’ titles at the 2021 US Open. She pushed Paolini to three sets after taking the first 6-0, but was ultimately eliminated in the opening round.
