Serena Williams, 44, to make competitive tennis return at Queen's Club doubles after four-year retirement
Tennis legend Serena Williams will return to professional competition at the age of 44, accepting a wildcard for the doubles tournament at Queen's Club in London next week, nearly four years after her farewell at the 2022 US Open.
The comeback announcement
Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, will make her long-anticipated return to professional tennis at the Queen's Club tournament in London next week. The WTA and tournament organizers confirmed on Monday that the 44-year-old American has received a wildcard to compete in the doubles draw. The news ends months of speculation fueled by Williams's re-entry into the International Tennis Integrity Agency's anti-doping testing pool earlier this year.
Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter. 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.
A legendary career resumes
Williams stepped away from the tour after the 2022 US Open, closing a career that includes 73 WTA singles titles, 23 Grand Slam singles trophies, and 319 weeks as world number one. She is the only player to have completed a Golden Grand Slam in both singles and doubles, winning Olympic gold in singles at London 2012 and three Olympic doubles golds alongside her sister Venus. The two sisters claimed 14 major doubles titles together.
Serena has taken the game to a new level, and it's great for the sport that she continues to push boundaries and returns.
Doubles partner and tournament plans
Williams is expected to play alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko at Queen's. Reports indicate she has also requested wildcards for Berlin the following week and for Wimbledon, where she has won seven singles and seven doubles titles. Tournament director Laura Robson hailed the return, calling Williams one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. WTA chairwoman Valerie Camillo said Williams's legacy extends far beyond the tennis court and expressed excitement at seeing her compete against a new generation of top players.
Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all time, whose legacy extends far beyond the tennis court. Her return is an expression of her passion for competition, and I can hardly wait to see her compete against a new generation of top players.
Following Venus's path
Serena's comeback comes nearly a year after her older sister Venus resumed her professional career at age 45 in July 2025. Serena, who became a mother for the second time in 2023, is the tenth former world number one to return to the tour after motherhood, and the first since Naomi Osaka. Navratilova noted that many younger players on the circuit have never had the chance to face Williams, and some may not even have seen her play on television, making this an unprecedented and exciting experience for the tour.
- Serena Williams plays her final match at the US Open, stepping away from professional tennis.
- Williams gives birth to her second daughter.
- Venus Williams resumes her professional career at age 45.
- Rumors of Serena's return begin circulating, including speculation about a US Open doubles appearance with Venus.
- Williams appears on the ITIA anti-doping testing pool list, intensifying comeback speculation.
- WTA and Queen's Club officially announce Williams's return for the doubles tournament next week.
The road back
Speculation about Williams's return had been building since autumn 2025, with initial rumors suggesting she might play doubles at last year's US Open with Venus, though that did not materialize. Her appearance on the ITIA testing list earlier this year intensified expectations. Williams herself posted a cryptic video on social media showing her on a tennis court, saying, "I guess you've all already heard the news." The Queen's Club organizers simply wrote: "The queen is back."
