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 of the WTA 500 event in west London, having not played since the US Open in 2022.
Williams 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 her return grew after she re-entered the drug-testing pool in December, and reports of training in Florida emerged. She will partner Canadian player Victoria Mboko, ranked No 9 in singles, in doubles at Queen's Club.
Williams holds the open era record of 23 grand slam singles titles and is a 14-time doubles champion with her sister Venus. She is the only player to achieve the career golden slam in both singles and doubles.
