Former world No.1 Serena Williams will return to the Rogers Cup for the first time since 2014 after being given a wild card to play in this year’s draw.
Williams, 36, is a three-time champion at the tournament, which alternates between Montreal and Toronto every year. Her last triumph was in 2013 when she defeated Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the final. She also won the title in 2001 and 2011.
“We are, of course, very pleased to be able to announce the participation of Serena Williams as we have awarded her a wild card,” said Eugène Lapierre, Tournament Director of Rogers Cup.
“After announcing our player list a few weeks ago, we were only missing Serena to complete our dream tournament. Serena has impressed everyone with the speed at which she was able to return to a high level of play. She has always been a fighter and she is proving it once again. I know that the fans will be happy to see her in action in Montreal. We are looking forward to welcoming her back.”
The 23-time grand slam champion is currently in the process of her return to the tour after giving birth to her first child last September. So far this season she has played in four tournaments. At the Wimbledon Championships, Williams dropped just one set on route to her first final of 2018. She was denied the title by Angelique Kerber, who triumphed 6-3, 6-3.
“I feel like I have a ways to go. This is literally just the beginning.” Williams said following the Wimbledon final.
“It’s good to just continue that path and just continue to keep going for me. I just feel like I’m taking the steps in the right direction. I took a giant step at Wimbledon. But my journey has just begun. Just have to keep going.”
Heading into the North American hard court swing, Williams has won 11 out of 14 matches on the WTA Tour this season. She is currently ranked 27th in the world after jumping more than 150 places in the WTA rankings since June.
The women’s Roger Cup tournament will be held in Montreal this year from August 6th. Elina Svitolina is the defending champion.
