Andy Murray and Serena Williams will team up for mixed doubles at Wimbledon

What started as a speculation — and maybe just a joke — has become a reality.

Andy Murray and Serena Williams will partner for the mixed doubles tournament at Wimbledon, Murray's team confirmed Tuesday. The duo will likely play their first match on Thursday, and there's a solid chance it could be Murray's last appearance on a professional court.

Murray, a Grand Slam singles winner 23 times over, was already set to play in the Wimbledon men's doubles tournament with Pierre-Hugues Herbert. He'd limited himself to playing doubles after returning from hip surgery earlier this year, and amid probing from journalists, said he'd agree to playing with Williams "if you guys really want it." Williams, a 39-time Grand Slam winner currently playing in the Wimbledon women's singles tournament, then gave journalists a similar answer: "If you guys really want it, then maybe I'll do it." And on Tuesday, the dream team became a reality.

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Murray has suffered an ongoing hip injury that hampered his performance in tournaments over the past few years, even announcing his retirement "no later than Wimbledon" earlier this year. Williams, meanwhile, has seen ups and downs since having her daughter in 2017. But as this picture from 2016's Wimbledon proves, these two veterans are worth cheering for. Kathryn Krawczyk