23-time Grand Slam champion accepts wildcard for women’s doubles event and fuels hopes of a Wimbledon comeback.
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Serena Williams will make her long-awaited return to competitive tennis at Queen’s Club next week, ending a near four-year absence from the sport.
The 44-year-old American has accepted a wildcard entry for the women’s doubles tournament, which begins on June 8 in London. She is expected to partner rising Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.
Williams has not competed since the 2022 US Open, where she stepped away from the game after an illustrious career that delivered 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
The announcement sparked excitement across the tennis world after months of speculation about a possible comeback. Williams teased the news on social media with a video from a tennis court, captioned: “Good news travels fast.”
Tournament organisers hailed her return as one of the biggest sporting stories of the year. Williams said Queen’s Club was the ideal venue to begin a new chapter, adding that grass courts hold some of her most memorable career moments.
Speculation about a return intensified after Williams re-entered the anti-doping programme last year, a requirement for players seeking to compete again on the professional tour.
Her comeback raises fresh questions about whether she could also feature at Wimbledon later this month. Former champion John McEnroe believes a singles return could be the next step.
Williams retired with 73 WTA singles titles, 319 weeks as world number one and nearly $95 million in career prize money, making her one of the most successful athletes in sporting history.
