02 June,2026 02:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Serena Williams (Pic: X/@MiamiOpen)
Serena Williams is set to make a comeback to professional tennis at the age of 44. The US-born athlete will return to the sport that she dominated for two decades before evolving away from the daily grind of competition.
She will make her first appearance at the Queen's Club. Later, Wimbledon and the US Open could be next on the list.
"It seems like she's trying to work her way up maybe to the U.S. Open, and those fans would be so ready to see her back on a singles court there," said former number 1 Lindsay Davenport at the French Open.
Earlier, the WTA Tour announced that Serena has accepted a wild-card invitation to feature in the doubles category at next week's grass-court tournament in England.
The Queen's Club tournament is set to kick off on Monday, and the WTA said that Williams will feature in the tournament, but her partner's name is yet to be announced.
The 44-year-old athlete has already won seven Wimbledon and six US Open titles before she stepped away from the sport. In the doubles category, she clinched six Wimbledon and two US Open titles along with her elder sister, Venus Williams.
On her return to the sport, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said, "She's a legend. It's inspiring to see. I'm excited to see her play and probably face her. It's very good news for tennis".
Naomi Osaka said that the Williams sisters are her role models and expressed happiness for Serena's match.
"It will bring people to watch tennis. I'm going to be tuned into the first match, for sure. I think a lot of people are. Everyone knows Serena and Venus were my role models growing up, so it's going to be cool to see her on the grounds again," said the Japanese tennis star.
On the other hand, defending French Open champion Coco Gauff said, "One of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her".
"Serena Williams playing tennis is only good for tennis. Let's be real. We all want to watch Serena play tennis," said Madison Keys.
"I mean, you literally get to watch history every single time she takes the court. So why not watch more?," she added.
(With AP Inputs)
