Serena Williams is returning to pro tennis at age 44 after nearly 4 years away from the sport

Jun 1, 2026, 10:40 AM

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Serena Williams attends Netflix Is A Joke Festival Presents: The Roast of Kevin Hart at The Kia Forum on May 10, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Netflix)

(Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Netflix)

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at age 44 after nearly four years away from the sport.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a wild card invitation to play doubles at the upcoming Queen’s Club grass-court tournament, the WTA Tour announced Monday.

The Queen’s Club tournament starts June 8

Williams has not competed since bidding farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, Williams said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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Serena Williams is returning to pro tennis at age 44 after nearly 4 years away from the sport

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