The seven-time Wimbledon champion had just been asked about the one thing she is looking forward to upon returning to Wimbledon for the first time since the coronavirus shut it down last year.
“I love the grass,” Williams said this month at the French Open, though she also admitted that she hadn’t even practiced on the surface since she lost to Simona Halep in the 2019 final.
It is the only professional tournament that still requires its participants to wear logo-less, all-white clothing.
“Wimbledon is something magical,” said Elina Svitolina, a semifinalist in 2019.
Now Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, is back, though it looks and feels quite different this year.
All ticket-holders are required to show proof of Covid status upon entry, either in the form of two vaccination doses or proof of a negative Covid test within the past 48 hours.
“This will be a Wimbledon like we’ve never known it before,” said Dan Evans, the British No.
And for environmental reasons, the plastic cups adorned with pictures of strawberries for the traditional Wimbledon dessert strawberries and cream have been replaced with sustainable cardboard containers.
As with other major championships this year, prize money has been redistributed, with more going to early round losers.
Other changes include players on all of the courts, not just the premier ones, being allowed to challenge the calls of linespeople and have them verified by Hawk-Eye Live, a device that uses 10 cameras around the court .
Seedings are according to the WTA and Association of Tennis Professionals rankings, which means that the champions, Roger Federer and Williams, both now ranked No.
Simply adjusting to playing on grass — with its hard-to-grip surface and uneven bounces — will be a challenge for players, many of whom have not competed on the surface in two years: When Wimbledon was canceled last year, the few grass-court warm-up events were as well.
Barty enters the tournament still nursing a hip injury that caused her to retire during her second match at the French Open.
And Williams, still one shy of tying Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles championships, has played a sparse schedule this year.
Then there is Djokovic who, with his wins at the Australian and French Opens this year, is halfway to a Grand Slam.
In 2022, the All England Club, which holds the tournament, will add play on the middle Sunday of the event, which traditionally was reserved for rest and rejuvenation of the courts and the players.
“Wimbledon is such an anchor for all of us,” said Jim Courier, a former world No.