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Serena Williams has confirmed her return to competitive tennis, accepting a wild card to compete in women's doubles at Queen's Club in London next week. This will be her first match since the 2022 US Open.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion will partner with teenage Canadian Victoria Mboko at the grass-court tournament, which begins June 8.
Williams announced her return on social media, sharing a video of herself on a tennis court with the caption: "Guess everybody heard the news," as her phone buzzed in the background. She also posted: "Good news travels fast."
Tournament organizers described her return as "one of the biggest sporting moments of the year so far." Queen's WTA tournament director Laura Robson called Williams "one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen."
"Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter," Williams said in a statement. "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."
Speculation about a comeback had been building for months. In December, it was reported that Williams had re-entered the anti-doping program, a requirement for returning to professional play. Although she publicly denied plans for a return, rumors continued.
In March, Novak Djokovic predicted Williams would return. Several players also discussed the possibility at the ongoing French Open.
Coco Gauff, who exited Roland Garros in the third round, said she would welcome the opportunity to face Williams for the first time.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka called the news "very good for tennis," adding she was "excited to see her play and probably face her."
Former world number one Martina Navratilova, who returned to competition at 43, said Williams had "brought the game to another level" and described her return as "incredible for the sport."
Williams won her last Grand Slam singles title at the 2017 Australian Open. She spent 319 weeks ranked world number one and secured 73 singles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as 14 major doubles titles with her sister Venus Williams.
When Williams stepped back from tennis in 2022, she chose not to call it retirement, instead describing it as "evolving" away from the sport.
Since then, she has focused on entrepreneurial ventures through her venture capital fund, Serena Ventures, and holds stakes in several sports teams. She also welcomed her second daughter in 2023.
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Williams' appearance at Queen's Club raises questions about her potential participation at Wimbledon, which begins at the end of June. Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe stated that the "logical next step" would be for her to enter the singles draw at the grass-court Grand Slam.
"She's not coming back as 'I'm happy to play and it's fun.' She wants to win another major," McEnroe said on TNT Sports.
Her third-round loss at the 2022 US Open left her one win short of the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, a record jointly held by Margaret Court and Novak Djokovic.
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