The 23-time Grand Slam winner last played competitive tennis in September 2022 at the US Open, as she had announced before the tournament that she would “evolve away from tennis” to focus on her family and business adventures.
In her goodbye letter, she refused to use the word “retirement”, and over the next few years, she gave several hints that she could “evolve back to tennis”.
And she added fuel to the fire when she entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s Registered Testing Pool late last year as players need to make themselves available for anti-doping tests at least six months prior to competing in a professional tournament.
Williams was given the all-clear by the ITIA to return on 22 February and many believe it is a foregone conclusion that she will make a comeback.
According to tennis journalist and Served With Andy Roddick podcast contributor John Wertheim, the American is only a couple of weeks away from making a return as she is expected to feature at Queen’s Club.
“There has been a lot of chatter about the Serena comeback and it is picking up steam. I have heard there has been multiple wildcard requests [from Williams] for the grass-court season,” he said on the latest podcast episode.
Asked if the tournament organisers are coming to her with offers or if she is putting in the requests, he replied: “She is putting in the requests.”
Wertheim added: “She was born in 1981, this is a woman in her mid-40s, she hasn’t played in a while, but she is still Serena Williams, I think this is great, I don’t think anyone has any objection to this.
“This could be a wonderful inspirational story, this could not work out, I don’t think anyone cares. This is all being done with such a weird cloak and dagger, and denials and secrecy and I think this is awesome, whatever it is, it is, maybe it is not anything that is going to pan out.”
The WTA 500 Queen’s event runs from 8-14 June in London and Williams has reportedly signed up for the doubles with one of the sport’s rising stars.
“But it does look like she is going to be playing the grass season. What I have heard is that she will be playing at Queen’s Club, doubles with, you guys want to guess? Victoria Mboko,” Wertheim said.
The 19-year-old Mboko currently sits at No 9 in the world have surged into the WTA Rankings on the back of winning her home event, the Canadian Open, last August after receiving a wildcard.
It has also been reported that she could feature at WTA 250 event at Eastbourne, starting on 21 June, before a possible appearance at Wimbledon.
