Serena Williams has confirmed her return to competitive tennis at the age of 44, nearly four years after her last professional match, with the 23-time Grand Slam champion set to compete at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in London.
Williams has accepted a doubles wildcard for the grass-court tournament, which begins on June 8, and will partner Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. The appearance is expected to be her first competitive outing since the 2022 US Open and could serve as preparation for a possible return at Wimbledon later this month.
The announcement was made on Monday by Queen’s Club, which posted on social media: “The Queen returns! Serena Williams is back and set for doubles at the HSBC Championships.”
Williams also shared a video on social media featuring herself on a tennis court dressed in white, while her phone buzzed repeatedly with notifications. Accompanied by the caption “Good news travels fast,” the video ended with the words: “Guess everybody heard the news.”
In a statement released by the tournament, Williams explained why she had chosen 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 her run at the 2022 US Open, where she reached the third round. Ahead of that tournament, she wrote in an essay for Vogue that she was “evolving away from tennis” and towards other priorities in her life, though she never formally used the word retirement.
Since then, the American has focused on family and business ventures. She welcomed her second daughter in 2023, but speculation about a possible comeback intensified last year when she re-entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s anti-doping testing programme. Williams has been eligible to compete since 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’s No. 1 player. She also captured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her sister Venus Williams and won four Olympic gold medals.
Few venues hold greater significance in Williams’ career than Wimbledon. She lifted the singles trophy seven times at the All England Club and added six doubles titles with Venus. Her most recent Wimbledon appearance 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’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 partner 18-year-old Mboko, one of Canada’s emerging talents. The teenager has frequently spoken about Williams’ influence on her career and will now share the court with one of her childhood idols.
Reports of Williams preparing for a return have circulated throughout the season. American player Alycia Parks revealed in February that she had practised with Williams and was impressed by her physical condition.
“She is in great shape, so I think she would kill it on tour,” Parks said.
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