Why Serena Williams is coming out of retirement to return to tennis at age 44

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Why Serena Williams is coming out of retirement to return to tennis at age 44
Serena William 6/1/26

Why Serena Williams is coming out of retirement to return to tennis at age 44 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Serena Williams is back.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion announced Monday, June 1, that she will be returning to the court four years after she announced her retirement from the sport. Williams has accepted a wild card invitation to play doubles in next week’s HSBC Championships, a 500-level event held at Queen’s Club in London.

She has combated rumors that she was returning to the sport in recent years, following the 2022 US Open. However, this invitation to play again at the professional level has drawn a touching response from the tennis icon.

“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said in an announcement from the tournament. “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.”

The WTA also confirmed her return in a statement and a post on X, writing that she was “officially returning to the stage.”

“Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all-time, with a legacy that extends far beyond the court,” WTA chair Valerie Camillo said in a statement. “Her return is an expression of her passion for competition, and I cannot wait to see her face a new generation of top players.

“Serena is not just a great champion. She’s a successful entrepreneur, a powerful advocate for the issues that matter — and one of the most iconic women in the world. We are thrilled to welcome her back to the WTA Tour at this hugely exciting moment for women’s tennis.”

It was first rumored that Williams would be joining the tournament last week. She then gave fans a tease of her announcement on social media with her long-time sponsor, Nike.

Williams has earned four Olympic gold medals, won 73 career singles titles, and  14 major doubles titles alongside her sister Venus Williams.

While the world connected the words “retirement” with Serena’s choice to leave the court after an illustrious career in the sport, she described her next chapter as an “evolution” instead. 

“I have never liked the word retirement,” Serena told Vogue at the time. “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.”

The Queen’s Club Championships in London, runs from June 8–14. He specific doubles partner has not yet been announced.

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