Serena Williams will make a sensational return to professional tennis at the age of 44 in next week’s HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club.
Williams has not played professional tennis since losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the 2022 US Open third round, although she branded her departure as “evolving away” from the sport rather than a retirement.
The 44-year-old shut down rumours about a comeback as recently as December, but has been confirmed as a wild-card entry for the women’s doubles at Queen’s, and is expected to partner rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko.
“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” said Williams.
“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.”
Tournament director Laura Robson added: “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.”
Wimbledon begins on June 29 where Williams could be handed a wild-card, although it is unclear if she wants to only play doubles or target a singles comeback.
Her return has almost felt inevitable after she registered with the sport’s drug-testing body, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in December.
Athletes who decide to return to testing need to provide information about their time and locations when they are available to give samples.
They also need to complete testing for six months before they are allowed to return to competition.
Williams’ older sister, Venus, returned to tennis in July at the age of 45 after almost two years away from the tour, and she also never announced her retirement.
At the 2025 US Open, Venus became the oldest player to play singles at a Grand Slam tournament since 1981.
Venus, a seven-time major singles champion, has spoken previously about wanting Serena to join her back on tour. They claimed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles as a pair.
