Serena Williams ends retirement, announces return to professional tennis at 44

• Serena Williams has announced her return to professional tennis at age 44 after nearly four years away from competition.

• The 23-time Grand Slam champion will make her comeback at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in London.

• Her return has fueled speculation about a possible Wimbledon appearance and a pursuit of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

Tennis legend Serena Williams is officially returning to professional tennis nearly four years after stepping away from the sport.

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The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion confirmed on Monday that she will return to competitive action at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in London, where she has been granted a wildcard entry into the women’s doubles tournament.

The event is expected to serve as the first step in a potential return to Wimbledon later this month.

Williams, now 44, has not played a professional match since her emotional farewell appearance at the 2022 US Open, where she reached the third round before losing to Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic.

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At the time, she described her departure as “evolving away” from tennis rather than formally retiring.

Her return ends months of speculation that intensified after reports emerged that she had re-entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency's anti-doping testing pool in late 2025, a necessary step for any player planning a return to professional competition.

According to reports from BBC, she confirmed her return on social media, where she posted a promotional video alongside Nike with the caption: “Good news travels fast,” while adding, “guess everybody heard the news.”

The American star is expected to partner 19-year-old Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko in the doubles draw at Queen’s Club, a tournament scheduled from June 8 to June 14.

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Williams remains one of the most decorated athletes in tennis history. She won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and captured seven Wimbledon singles crowns during a career that transformed women's tennis and inspired generations of players.

Her comeback has immediately sparked speculation about whether she could attempt to challenge for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.