After four years away from competitive tennis and watching the sport from the sidelines, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has announced her return to professional competition.
Speculation about a comeback has grown in recent months after her name appeared in documents from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), indicating that she had re-registered with the sport’s anti-doping program.
Williams has now confirmed that she is ready to return to the court, exciting tennis fans around the world.
Williams played her last major professional singles match at the 2022 U.S. Open. She played against Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round and lost in three sets 7–5, 6–7, 6–1.
The match was very emotional because many people believed it would be the final match of her tennis career.
Serena decided to take a break from tennis because she wanted to spend more time with her family, focus on her business projects, and have another child.
In an interview with Vogue magazine, a 44-year-old said she was moving on to a new stage in her life while being proud of everything she achieved in tennis.
“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people.
“Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.
“A few years ago, I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.
“I’ve been reluctant to admit to myself or anyone else that I have to move on from playing tennis. Alexis, my husband, and I have hardly talked about it; it’s like a taboo topic.
“I can’t even have this conversation with my mom and dad. It’s like it’s not real until you say it out loud”.
Williams will make her first comeback appearance on court at the Queen’s Club Championships, which will start on June 8 and run until June 21, 2026, in London.
