• Source:JND

Tennis legend Serena Williams is set to make a surprise return to competitive tennis at the age of 44, nearly four years after playing her last professional match.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion has accepted a wildcard entry for the doubles event at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in London, which starts on June 8. She will team up with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in what will be her first competitive appearance since the 2022 US Open.

Serena Willams on Tennis comeback

The tournament confirmed the news on Monday with a social media post that read: “The Queen returns! Serena Williams is back and set for doubles at the HSBC Championships.”

Williams also hinted at her comeback on social media. She posted a video of herself on a tennis court dressed in white while her phone kept buzzing with notifications. Alongside the video, she wrote: “Good news travels fast.” The clip ended with the message: “Guess everybody heard the news.”

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In a statement released by the tournament, Williams explained why she chose Queen’s Club for her return.

“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said.

“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.”

Williams has not played a competitive match since the 2022 US Open, where she reached the third round. Before that tournament, she wrote in Vogue that she was “evolving away from tennis” and focusing on other parts of her life, although she never officially announced her retirement.

Since stepping away from the sport, Williams has devoted her time to family and business projects. She welcomed her second daughter in 2023. However, talk of a comeback began growing last year when she returned to the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s anti-doping testing programme. She became eligible to compete again on February 22.

Her return brings one of the greatest careers in tennis history back into focus. Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the highest tally in the Open Era. She also spent 319 weeks as the world No. 1, won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus Williams, and collected four Olympic gold medals.

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Wimbledon remains one of the most special tournaments of her career. Williams won seven singles titles at the All England Club and added six doubles crowns alongside Venus. Her last Wimbledon appearance came in 2022 when she was beaten in the first round by France’s Harmony Tan after returning from injury.

Queen’s tournament director Laura Robson welcomed Williams’ return to the court.

“Serena Williams is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, and we’re delighted that she will be making her return to tennis at the LTA’s HSBC Championships,” Robson said.

“Women’s tennis made a historic return to The Queen’s Club last year, and now we have an icon of the game stepping back on to court at this prestigious venue. It’s very exciting for the tournament and the fans.”

Williams is expected to play alongside 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, one of Canada’s brightest young prospects. Mboko has often spoken about how much Williams inspired her growing up, and she will now have the chance to share the court with her idol.

Reports about Williams preparing for a comeback have been circulating for months. In February, American player Alycia Parks revealed that she had trained with the former world No. 1 and was impressed by her fitness.

“She is in great shape, so I think she would kill it on tour,” Parks said.


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