Serena Williams confirms shock tennis comeback at 44 at Queen’s Club Championships
Serena Williams has confirmed her return to competitive tennis at the age of 44, almost four years after her last professional match, with the 23-time Grand Slam champion set to compete at the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club in London.
Williams received a doubles wild card for the grass-court tournament, which starts on June 8, and will partner Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. The performance is expected to be her first competitive appearance since the 2022 US Open and could serve as preparation for a possible return at Wimbledon later this month.
The announcement was made Monday by the Queen’s Club, which posted on social media: “The Queen is back! Serena Williams is back and ready to play doubles at the HSBC Championships.”
Williams also shared a video on social media of herself dressed in white on a tennis court while her phone repeatedly buzzed with notifications. Captioned “Good news travels fast”, the video ended with the words: “I guess everyone has heard the news.”
In a statement released by the tournament, Williams explained why she chose Queen’s Club for her comeback.
“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to start 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 her run at the 2022 US Open, where she reached the third round. Before this tournament, she wrote in an essay for Vogue that she was “evolving from tennis” and moving on to other priorities in her life, although she never formally used the word retirement.
Since then, the American has focused on family and business activities. In 2023, she welcomed her second daughterbut speculation about a possible comeback intensified last year when she rejoined the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s anti-doping testing program. Williams can compete from February 22.
Her return brings one of the most decorated careers in tennis history back into the spotlight. Williams owns 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era, and spent 319 weeks as the world No. 1 player. She also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her sister Venus Williams and won four Olympic gold medals.
Few venues hold more significance in Williams’ career than Wimbledon. She lifted the All England Club singles trophy seven times and added six doubles titles with Venus. Her last appearance at Wimbledon came in 2022 when she lost in the first round to France’s Harmony Tan after returning from injury.
Queen’s tournament director Laura Robson welcomed the prospect of Williams competing at the historic venue.
“Serena Williams is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen and we are delighted to see her return to tennis at the LTA’s HSBC Championships,” said Robson.
“Women’s tennis made a historic return to The Queen’s Club last year and now we have an icon of the game returning to the court at this prestigious venue. It’s very exciting for the tournament and the fans.”
Williams is expected to partner 18-year-old Mbok, one of Canada’s rising talents. The teenager has often spoken of Williams’ influence on her career and will now share the court with one of her childhood idols.
Reports of Williams preparing to return have circulated throughout the season. American player Alycia Parks revealed in February that she trained with Williams and was impressed by her physical condition.
“She’s in great shape, so I think she’d kill it on tour,” Parks said.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
01 Jun 2026 20:17 IST