Legendary American tennis star Serena Williams has announced her return to professional competition. After an absence of nearly four years, the 44-year-old winner of 23 Grand Slam titles will compete in the doubles event at the prestigious WTA 500 Queen’s Club Championships, which begin on June 8 in London.

Tournament organizers have awarded Williams a wildcard entry. She is expected to partner with 19-year-old Canadian tennis player Victoria Mboko.

«Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this new chapter. Some of the most important moments of my career happened on grass courts, so I’m thrilled to return to one of the most iconic venues in tennis», – Williams said.

Rumours of a possible comeback had been circulating for several months. Interest intensified following a recent video the tennis star shared on social media. In the clip, she walks onto a tennis court accompanied by the simple caption: «I guess everyone has heard the news by now.» Earlier speculation had also been fuelled by the appearance of Williams’ name on a list of athletes registered for anti-doping testing.

Williams last competed in September 2022 at the US Open, after which she announced her retirement from professional tennis. Over a 27-year career, she became one of the most accomplished players in the history of the sport, winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 doubles titles, and four Olympic gold medals. She finished five seasons as the world’s No. 1 player.

It remains unclear whether Williams plans to compete at the Wimbledon Championships, which gets underway in late June. However, her return is already being hailed as one of the most significant and eagerly anticipated stories of the tennis season.

Photo: Instagram @serenawilliams

After the birth of her second daughter, 44-year-old tennis icon Serena Williams faced difficulties accepting her body. The athlete admitted that neither hours of training nor a healthy diet helped her regain her former shape. Last summer, the star turned to a clinic, where she was prescribed a course of the peptide hormone GLP‑1 receptor agonists, which works in a way similar to Ozempic. When this became public, the tennis player was, unsurprisingly, criticized for going against the body-positivity principles she had previously advocated. However, Williams did not bow to public pressure and achieved impressive results — 14 kilograms lost, and most importantly, a significant improvement in her well-being.

“I’ve become more active. My joints don’t hurt as much anymore. I feel that simple things like squats are much easier for me to do now — and I can do them much faster. I feel like I have a lot of energy, and that’s wonderful. It just feels good to realize it,” Williams admitted, proudly sharing photos of herself in swimsuits on social media.

In the latest images she posted for her followers, Serena poses in a seductive khaki crinkled swimsuit. The look is completed with a fluffy soft-pink cardigan and a pair of short UGG boots.

“I’m not perfect… But I am perfectly me. Take some time today to celebrate that you are perfect too,” she wrote in the caption to the photos.

Photo: Instagram @serenawilliams