Serena Williams, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, has announced her return to professional competition at next week's WTA 500 event at Queen's Club in west London. The 44-year-old American will play in the doubles draw after being awarded a wildcard, marking her first appearance since the 2022 US Open.
Williams, who has 23 grand slam singles titles (a women's open era record) and 14 doubles majors with her sister Venus, had described her departure from the sport as 'evolving away' rather than retiring. She remained on the retired players' list until last year. Speculation about a comeback intensified after she re-entered the drug-testing pool in December, and she has been seen training in Florida, including with world No. 79 Alycia Parks.
Williams announced her return via 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.'
At Queen's, Williams will partner Canadian player Victoria Mboko, ranked ninth in singles. Mboko told reporters at the French Open: 'I'm very happy. Me and Serena have stayed in touch... I think for me I want to let the moment be for her. I feel like if she's ready to come back on her own terms, then I feel like it's up to her to announce that.'
While Williams will start in doubles, a move to singles at Wimbledon—where she is a seven-time champion—would require rapid preparation, as the grass-court season is short. Wimbledon begins on Monday 29 June, three weeks after Queen's.
