Even after spending a year away from professional tennis, Serena Williams is viewed as a legitimate threat to win the next Grand Slam. Williams has received an invite to play at Wimbledon, where only a handful of other players are given better odds to win the title.

The All England Club extended a wild-card entry to Williams, setting the stage for her return to arguably tennis' biggest tournament. Williams has +2300 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the title, putting her behind only six other players.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner hasn’t competed in a WTA event since she was forced to withdraw from the first round of 2021 Wimbledon because of a leg injury. Williams skipped the 2021 U.S. Open with a torn hamstring. The 40-year-old has not competed in 2022.

Williams will return to the court next week. She will team up with Ons Jabeur in doubles at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne, England, in preparation for the Grand Slam.

The main draw for Wimbledon starts on June 27.

In her time away from the court, Williams has plummeted to No. 1208 in the WTA rankings. Prior to being upset in the fourth round of the 2021 French Open, Williams reached the semifinals of the 2021 Australian Open and the 2020 U.S. Open.

Williams last won a Grand Slam at the 2017 Australian Open. She has come up short in a Grand Slam final four times, including at Wimbledon in 2018 and 2019.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is the betting favorite with +145 odds to win Wimbledon. Swiatek won the 2022 French Open, claiming her second championship at Roland Garros in three years.

Cori Gauff is a distant second with +1200 Wimbledon odds. Simona Halep is third with +1700 odds. Halep, the 2019 Wimbledon champion, is the most recent player in the tournament to win the Grand Slam.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Ashleigh Barty retired from professional tennis earlier this year.

'The greatest': Serena Williams on her way to victory over sister Venus in the 2017 Australian Open final
'The greatest': Serena Williams on her way to victory over sister Venus in the 2017 Australian Open final AFP / PAUL CROCK