The organizers of Wimbledon have unveiled the list of players with a wild card for the 2021 edition, and Andy Murray and Venus Williams are among the lucky ones.
Former Wimbledon winners Andy Murray and Venus Williams won’t need to go through qualifying next week to take part in the legendary London tournament, which is back on the calendar this year after being canceled in 2020. The Scotsman and the American are indeed one of five players and six players who received an invitation to enter directly into the main draw. At 34, Andy Murray will participate in his 13th Wilmbledon, a tournament he won in 2013 and 2016 and of which he played the final in 2012.
Absent since 2017 in singles (he had just played the doubles in 2019), the Scotsman, current 124th in the world, will try to go as far as possible, depending on his physical condition. Venus Williams will turn 41 this Thursday and will play her second Wimbledon. She won the tournament in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008 and played the final in 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2017. Now 103rd in the world, the American, who has still not mentioned retirement, has won only two games this season, and none since the Australian Open.
Alcaraz also invited
Among the other beneficiaries of a wild card, we find the great hope of the Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz (18, 78th), who was not yet in the Top 100 when the entry list for Wimbledon was closed. and who has never played on turf on the ATP Tour, and Britons Lima Broady, Jay Clarke and Jack Draper (who just eliminated Jannik Sinner at Queen’s). On the girls’ side, Britons Katie Boulter, Jodie Burrage, Harriet Dart, Francesca Jones and Samantha Murray Sharan also received an invitation. Three more male wild cards will be announced shortly, while the two female wild cards which remained to be attributed will not be, undoubtedly for a question of tennis level. It will therefore be the two best ranked players who do not enter directly into the main draw who will integrate it.
