Eleven-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams is among the players to have been handed a wild card for the upcoming Grand Slam.
The 43-year-old - who has won five singles titles and six double crowns at SW19 - has not competed in singles at the tournament since losing in the second round in 2021, but she partnered with Jamie Murray to reach the second round of the mixed doubles last year.
Since the 2021 edition, Williams has only featured in one of the subsequent seven Grand Slam singles events, earning a wild card for the 2022 US Open but falling to Alison van Uytvanck in round one.
The American has seldom been seen on the court since, but she made a statement of intent at the Birmingham Classic on Monday with a thrilling three-set win over Camila Giorgi in round one.
Ahead of her last-16 clash with Jelena Ostapenko, Williams has been announced as one of seven initial wildcards for the women's singles tournament as she prepares to go for glory in the event for the 24th time.
Williams was crowned Wimbledon singles champion in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008 - beating her retired sister Serena Williams in the final of the latter competition.
© Reuters
The Williams sisters also teamed up to seal six doubles titles in 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2016, and Venus Williams is one of two non-British wild cards for the women's singles event.
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina - who was absent from last year's Grand Slam due to her pregnancy - is also on the list as she seeks to better her run to the semi-finals in 2019.
Since returning from her hiatus, Svitolina enjoyed a memorable run to the quarter-finals of the 2023 French Open, eventually falling to Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Meanwhile, Katie Boulter has also been given a wild card on the back of winning her first WTA Tour crown in Nottingham last week, beating compatriot and fellow wild card Jodie Burrage in the final.
Three other Brits in Harriet Dart, Katie Swan and Heather Watson are on the women's singles wild card lists alongside the Nottingham finalists, while another five home favourites have been handed routes into the men's tournament.
Liam Broady, Ryan Peniston, Jan Choinski, Arthur Fery and George Loffhagen have all been given wild cards alongside Belgium's David Goffin, who lost to Cameron Norrie in five sets during last year's quarter-finals.
Ben Knapton
