Tennis legends Serena Williams and Venus Williams have been awarded a wildcard entry into the doubles competition at Wimbledon Championships, setting the stage for another appearance by one of the sport’s most iconic sibling partnerships.

Neither sister was included in the initial list of singles wildcards, although tournament organizers still have one remaining women’s singles wildcard available.

Serena, 44, returned to professional tennis last week at the Queen’s Club tournament, four years after what many believed would be the final match of her career at the 2022 US Open. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who has won Wimbledon seven times, is currently competing in doubles in Berlin alongside Karolina Muchova as she continues her comeback.

Her return to the Grand Slam stage at Wimbledon will now see her reunite with her older sister Venus in doubles competition at the All England Club.

Venus, 45, is a five-time Wimbledon singles champion and remains one of the most celebrated players in the tournament’s history. Although she has lost all seven of her singles matches this season, she enjoyed success in doubles earlier this year when she partnered Britain’s Katie Boulter to victory at the Madrid Open.

Elsewhere, former British number one Dan Evans was not awarded a wildcard for the men’s singles draw. The tournament is expected to be the final event of the 36-year-old’s professional career.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who has announced plans to retire at the end of the season, received a men’s singles wildcard. He will be joined in the draw by Grigor Dimitrov, another experienced campaigner granted direct entry.

In the women’s singles competition, French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska has been rewarded for her impressive run at Roland Garros with a wildcard into the Wimbledon main draw.

The 2026 Wimbledon Championships are scheduled to begin on 29 June, with the return of the Williams sisters expected to be among the tournament’s biggest attractions as fans look forward to seeing two of tennis’s greatest champions share the court once again.

Four-time world champions Germany national football team overcame an early scare from World Cup debutants Curacao national football team before producing a commanding display to secure a convincing victory in their opening Group E match in Houston.

Germany made the perfect start, taking the lead after just six minutes through Felix Nmecha. The midfielder, who previously represented England at youth level, curled a powerful effort into the net to score the fastest goal of the tournament so far.

Curacao, however, refused to be intimidated and stunned the Germans with an equaliser in the 21st minute. The Caribbean nation, the smallest country ever to participate in a World Cup by both population and size, celebrated a historic moment when Livano Comenencia fired a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area that took a deflection and beat veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who was making his fifth World Cup appearance at the age of 40.

Curacao nearly gained further momentum when striker Jurgen Locadia appealed for a penalty after a challenge from Jonathan Tah, but the claims were dismissed.

A hydration break midway through the first half appeared to help Germany regain their composure. The eight-time finalists responded strongly and restored their lead through defender Nico Schlotterbeck, who powered home a header from a corner delivered by Nathaniel Brown.

Germany extended their advantage in first-half stoppage time when Kai Havertz calmly converted a penalty after Curacao defender Riechedly Bazoer brought down the impressive Nmecha inside the area.

Any hopes of a Curacao comeback disappeared shortly after the restart. Just over a minute into the second half, Jamal Musiala finished clinically from a pass by Joshua Kimmich to make it 4-1.

Germany continued to dominate as left-back Brown volleyed home after an intelligent flick from substitute Deniz Undav. Undav then got on the scoresheet himself, sweeping in another assist from Kimmich as Curacao’s resistance faded.

The Stuttgart forward capped an excellent cameo by setting up Havertz for Germany’s seventh and final goal two minutes from full-time. Havertz delicately lifted the ball over goalkeeper Eloy Room to complete a comprehensive victory.

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will miss his country’s opening World Cup match against Panama in Toronto after Canadian authorities denied him entry into the country.

Partey, 32, is currently based with Ghana’s squad in Boston, United States, but will be unable to travel to Canada after his visa application was rejected by the Canadian government.

In a statement, FIFA confirmed that the former Arsenal midfielder, who now plays for Villarreal CF, would not be available for Ghana’s first game of the tournament.

FIFA emphasized that it has no role in the immigration decisions of host nations and that visa approvals and admissions are determined solely by the relevant government authorities.

Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one charge of sexual assault involving allegations made by four different women between 2020 and 2022. He is scheduled to stand trial next year and has not been convicted of any offence.

Canadian immigration officials declined to comment on the specific case but stated that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada applies immigration laws consistently to all applicants, regardless of nationality, public profile or involvement in international sporting events.

Officials added that immigration officers assess admissibility under Canadian law and may refuse entry if they determine an individual could pose a security risk.

The Canadian government’s immigration guidelines state that individuals who have committed or been convicted of certain crimes may be found inadmissible to the country.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said American authorities were aware of the pending legal proceedings involving Partey. However, because he has not been convicted of a crime, he was granted a visa and admitted into the United States.

The agency noted that entry decisions are made on a case-by-case basis using available law enforcement, immigration and national security information, while questions regarding Canada’s decision should be directed to Canadian authorities.

Partey’s absence represents a significant setback for Ghana ahead of its World Cup campaign, with the experienced midfielder now set to miss the team’s crucial opening fixture against Panama while legal and immigration issues continue to unfold.