Serena Williams returns to competitive tennis at Queen’s Club Championships
The 44-year-old American ends a four-year absence, reregistering for an antidoping programme in February to regain eligibility for the grass-court warm-up event.
Serena Williams has officially announced her return to professional tennis, ending months of speculation with a social media post captioned “Good news travels fast.” The 44-year-old 23-time Grand Slam singles winner will make her competitive debut at the Queen’s Club Championships in the United Kingdom this month, receiving a wildcard entry for the women’s doubles event.
Williams is set to partner with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko for the tournament, which serves as a key warm-up for Wimbledon, beginning on June 28. While the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) initially stated that a partner would be announced in due course, media reports confirm Mboko as her teammate. Mboko, who played at the French Open last week, expressed admiration for her partner, noting that they have stayed in touch and that she looks up to Williams.
To become eligible for competition, Williams reregistered for a mandatory antidoping programme in February, six months prior to her announcement. Her last professional appearance was in 2022. Williams described the Queen’s Club tournament as the “perfect place to begin this next chapter,” citing the significance of grass courts in her career, where she won seven singles titles and six doubles titles.
The announcement has drawn praise from the current generation of players. Naomi Osaka, Aryna Sabalenka, and Coco Gauff have all publicly expressed excitement about Williams’s return. Osaka noted that the comeback would bring more people to watch tennis, while Gauff, who cited Williams as a role model, commented on Instagram that “dreams come true.”
Former champions have also weighed in on the implications of the return. Lindsay Davenport suggested that Williams may be working her way up to a singles appearance at the US Open, noting that some current players have recently trained with her in Florida. Meanwhile, John McEnroe speculated that Williams could compete in singles at Wimbledon, stating that she would likely want to win the entire tournament.
The WTA has framed the return as a testament to Williams’s enduring passion for competition. WTA Chairwoman Valerie Camillo stated that she cannot wait to see Williams face a new generation of players. Williams’s comeback joins a broader trend of elite athletes extending their careers, including Allyson Felix and Lindsey Vonn, who have both recently returned to high-level competition.
