"The Queen Returns": Serena Williams Announces Tennis Comeback at 44, Four Years After Retirement

The queen is coming back. Serena Williams, 44, has announced her return to professional tennis, nearly four years after she stepped away from the sport. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion will play doubles at a WTA tournament in London next week, having been granted a wild card.

"The queen returns," organizers said in a social media post. Williams simultaneously released a video showing herself on a tennis court, picking up her phone with the comment: "I guess you've all heard the news by now." In London, she will play alongside Canadian Victoria Mboko.

"Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all time, whose legacy extends far beyond the tennis court," said WTA Chairman Valerie Camillo. "Her return is an expression of her passion for competition, and I can't wait to see her take on a new generation of top players."

Williams plans to also compete in Berlin the following week. Both tournaments are warm-ups for Wimbledon, which begins in late June. It is likely that the former world number one will also appear at the All England Club, where she won seven singles titles.

"Serena has taken the game to a new level, and it's great for the sport that she continues to push boundaries and return," said Martina Navratilova, who was previously the oldest former WTA number one to attempt a comeback after retirement – at the age of 43 years and 10 months.

Williams is widely considered the greatest female tennis player of all time, though Australia's Margaret Court holds one more major singles title (24). Williams played her last official match at the US Open in 2022, stepping away from the big stage. She gave birth to her second child about a year later. Over her career, she spent 319 weeks as world number one and won 73 WTA Tour singles titles.

The comeback trail has not been without its twists. Months ago, it was reported that Williams had been placed in the international doping control pool by the International Tennis Integrity Agency. A return to official competition requires six months in the testing pool, which, according to media reports, began on February 22 of this year.

Williams initially dismissed comeback rumors. "Oh my god, people, I'm not coming back. This wildfire is crazy," she wrote on X. Later, in a television appearance, she was less definitive. "That's neither a yes nor a no. I don't know. I'll just wait and see what happens."

Now, the wait is over. The 44-year-old mother of two is stepping back onto the court. Not in singles – at least not yet. But doubles in London, then Berlin, then perhaps Wimbledon. The queen has returned. And the tennis world is watching to see if she can still reign.