Serena Williams, one of the greatest athletes of all time, has announced her return to professional tennis next week at Queen's Club. The 44-year-old will compete in the doubles draw as a wildcard at the WTA 500 event in west London, marking her first competition since the US Open in 2022.
Williams had described her departure from the sport as 'evolving away' from tennis rather than retirement, and remained on the retired players' list until last year. She announced her comeback in a Nike video with the tagline: 'Guess everybody heard the news.' In a statement, she said: 'Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter. Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I'm excited to be back competing on one of the sport's most iconic stages.'
Speculation about a return intensified after Williams re-entered the drug-testing pool last December, a move that suggested intentions to compete again. Reports of her training in Florida emerged, including a video posted by world No 79 Alycia Parks in March. Williams will start with doubles but could ramp up to singles in subsequent events. However, if she wishes to compete at Wimbledon, where she is a seven-time champion, she will have limited preparation time as the championships begin on 29 June.
Williams will partner Canadian player Victoria Mboko, ranked No 9 in singles, at Queen's Club. Mboko commented: 'I'm very happy. Me and Serena have stayed in touch... I think for me I want to let the moment be for her.' Williams, who holds a record 23 grand slam singles titles in the women's open era, is also a 14-time doubles champion with her sister Venus. She remains the only player to achieve a career golden slam in both singles and doubles.
