Nearly four years have passed since Serena Williams walked off the court at the 2022 US Open. Now, at 44, she is officially returning to professional tennis. Williams has accepted a wild-card invitation to play doubles at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club in London next week. The announcement ended months of intense speculation and sent the tennis world into an immediate frenzy.
Williams first teased the news Monday morning through a short Nike social media video. It showed her on court before flashing the words “Guess everybody heard the news.” Within minutes, the HSBC Championships followed with their own post declaring “The Queen returns.”
A legacy that needs no introduction
Williams holds 23 major singles titles. That is more than any woman in the Open era. In addition, she has spent 319 weeks at world No. 1 in the WTA rankings. She has also won 73 career singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and 14 major doubles titles alongside her sister Venus. Furthermore, she is the only player in history to complete a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. Throughout her career, she has earned over $94 million in prize money, widely considered the highest total of any female athlete ever.
How the comeback came together
Williams first fueled comeback speculation by quietly re-entering the International Tennis Integrity Agency drug-testing pool in fall 2025. That step is required before any player can compete again. However, she denied the rumors in December, posting on social media that she was not returning. Despite that denial, chatter intensified in early 2026. Practice footage emerged showing her training alongside world No. 79 Alycia Parks in Florida, reportedly up to three times a week. Parks described Williams as being in great shape.
Subsequently, reports surfaced last week that Williams had requested a wild card for the HSBC Championships. She is expected to play doubles alongside world No. 9 Victoria Mboko, though her official partner had not yet been confirmed at publication.
The tennis world responds
The WTA welcomed her return with considerable enthusiasm. Chair Valerie Camillo praised Williams as one of the greatest athletes of all time. She also called the comeback an expression of Williams’ passion for competition. Meanwhile, Martina Navratilova, previously the oldest former world No. 1 to attempt a post-retirement comeback at 43 years and 10 months, called the return incredible for the sport.
Fellow players were equally thrilled. Coco Gauff said one of her biggest regrets was never getting to play Williams. Naomi Osaka, who beat Williams in the 2018 US Open final, said she would be genuinely excited to see her back. Madison Keys put it simply: watching Serena Williams play tennis means watching history every time.
What comes next
So far, Williams has not announced any tournaments beyond Queen’s Club. Nevertheless, her return on grass will inevitably spark Wimbledon speculation. That event begins June 28. Her agent had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
On a personal note, Williams welcomed her second daughter, Adira, in August 2023 with husband Alexis Ohanian. Her first daughter, Olympia, was born in 2017 while Williams was pregnant during her Australian Open title run that year.
As for Venus Williams, the 45-year-old returned to professional tennis last July after a 16-month absence. She has spoken openly about always wanting her sister back on tour. Together, the prospect of both Williams sisters competing in the same era again adds one of the most compelling storylines to the upcoming summer grass season.
Source: ESPN
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