Tennis great Serena Williams, 44, made a comeback four years after playing her last competitive match

Paris: Serena Williams of the USA serves against Julia Georges of Germany during their third round match at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. (File photo/PTI) NEW DELHI: Tennis great Serena Williams will make a surprise return to professional tennis almost four years after her last competitive match. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a wild card entry into the women’s doubles at Queen’s Club, which will be held between June 6 and June 21, 2026, marking her first tournament appearance since the 2022 US Open. The announcement was accompanied by a social media post from Williams, who shared a video of herself on court with the caption: “Good news travels fast.” The post quickly created excitement among tennis fans who were waiting for signs of a comeback.Speculation about Williams’ return has been mounting since December when it was revealed she had re-entered tennis’ anti-doping program, a necessary step for any player planning to return to the tour.The 44-year-old is set to partner rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko in the doubles competition, giving fans a chance to see one of the sport’s greatest champions back in action.Williams said Queen’s Club was the perfect venue for her return because of her long and successful history on grass courts.“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.”Her comeback is expected to be one of the biggest topics of the grass season as tennis fans eagerly await her return to competition.