Serena Williams to make professional tennis return at 44

Tennis icon Serena Williams is preparing for a professional comeback at the age of 44, with her first competitive match since the 2022 US Open scheduled for next week's HSBC Championships at Queen's Club.

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Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter

Williams has been absent from the professional circuit since her loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 US Open. At the time, she suggested she was "evolving away" from the sport rather than formally retiring, as reported by Sky Sports. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has received a wild-card entry into the women's doubles at Queen's and is expected to partner with rising Canadian player Victoria Mboko.

Her return has ignited speculation about a possible appearance at the Wimbledon Championships later this month, where she might also receive a wild-card. It remains uncertain whether Williams intends to compete solely in doubles or pursue a singles comeback.

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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

"Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter," Williams stated, according to Sky Sports. "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." Tournament director Laura Robson expressed delight, calling Williams "one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen."

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Serena Williams is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, and we're delighted that she will be making her return to tennis at the LTA's HSBC Championships

Williams' return seemed almost inevitable after she registered with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in December. Her last Grand Slam singles title was at the 2017 Australian Open, won while she was in the early stages of pregnancy. She reached four more Grand Slam finals after returning from maternity leave but fell short of Margaret Court's record of 24 major singles titles. In a 2022 Vogue interview, Williams acknowledged her pursuit of Court's record, stating, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want [Court's] record."

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I'd be lying if I said I didn't want [Court's] record.