Serena Williams has confirmed her highly anticipated return to tennis after an absence of nearly four years in a stunning announcement on Tuesday morning (AEST). The 44-year-old has not played competitively since a third-round defeat at the 2022 US Open left her one short of the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, jointly held by Margaret Court and Novak Djokovic.
At the time, the American insisted she wasn't retiring but was simply evolving away from tennis. However, the most feared female tennis player of all time will now make her highly anticipated return to the court for next month's Wimbledon Grand Slam. Williams has been given a wildcard for the women's doubles at Queen's Club, where she is reportedly set to team up with young Canadian Victoria Mboko.
"Good news travels fast," Serena wrote in an Instagram post that sent fans wild, receiving more than 125,000 likes and 6,000 retweets in the first six hours. Legendary skier Lindsay Vonn commented, "LFG," while Paline Briscoe wrote, "Yes baby!" Angela Meadows added, "It's official the Queen is back!!!!!!"
Reactions from Tennis Greats
Former World No. 1 Martina Navratilova, who came back to the sport at 43, hailed her fellow American. "Serena brought the game to another level, and it is incredible for the sport that she's pushing the boundaries and coming back," she said. "To many of the younger players, they never had the opportunity to play her. Some may have never watched her on television, so this will be a new and exciting experience."
Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe said he was "semi-shocked" by her decision but suggested she might also 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 go win another major," he said on TNT Sports. "That's the only reason that I can think that Serena Williams will want to play tennis again."
Perfect Start at Queen's Club
Williams said in a statement from tournament organisers that Queen's Club felt like the perfect spot to start her comeback. "Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter," Williams said. "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."
News of her impending return took the French Open by storm last week, with many of Serena's former rivals and admirers keen to see her come back. Naomi Osaka, who famously beat Williams in the 2018 US Open final, was one of the first to voice her excitement. "I think it's good for me. I'll be very entertained," Osaka said about Serena's return last week.
American Coco Gauff said she would love to face Serena for the first time. "I did say one of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her," Gauff said. "Everybody has been hearing rumours and stuff. So if they are true, I guess we'll find out in a couple of days based on the rumours. We'll see, but I think it would be cool for this sport to have a legend back playing."
Serena's Illustrious Career
Serena spent 319 weeks at the top of the world rankings and won 73 singles titles on the WTA Tour. She also won 14 major Grand Slam doubles titles with her older sister Venus Williams, who ended a 16-month hiatus from professional tennis last year. The women's event at the London tournament starts on June 8.
Williams' return marks a significant moment in tennis history, as she aims to add to her legacy and perhaps chase that elusive 24th Grand Slam singles title. Fans and players alike eagerly await her comeback on the grass courts.
