Serena Williams set for tennis comeback – here’s how five women stars fared after retirement U-turns

Tennis icon Serena Williams is set to make her highly anticipated return to professional tennis in London next week.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, now 44, will once again grace the courts, sparking excitement among fans.

Williams’ return places her among a distinguished group of female athletes who have stepped away from the sport only to make a comeback. Here are five other notable examples:

Kim Clijsters

Belgian star Kim Clijsters is a benchmark for successful second careers.

Retiring in 2007 at 23 to marry and have her first child, her return two years later was spectacular.

She clinched the US Open as an unranked player, adding another New York title and her first Australian Open before retiring again in 2012.

A 2020 comeback proved less fruitful.

Martina Hingis

Martina Hingis, the ‘Swiss Miss’, enjoyed a career across three distinct phases.

Winning all five Grand Slam singles titles before turning 19, she first retired at 22. A brief, injury-hit comeback three years later included a doping ban.

Yet, in 2013, Hingis was back at 32, focusing solely on doubles, adding 10 more Grand Slam titles and an Olympic silver before her final retirement in 2017.

Justine Henin

Clijsters’ compatriot, Justine Henin, made a surprising retirement announcement.

Aged 25, world number one and a seven-time Grand Slam champion, she quit in May 2008.

Her return the following August saw her reach the Australian Open final in her first major back.

An elbow injury forced her into a second retirement just a year later.

Caroline Wozniacki

Serena Williams will follow in the footsteps of her close friend Caroline Wozniacki, though at a significantly later stage in life.

The Dane won the Australian Open in 2018 before retiring two years later.

After two children, Wozniacki announced her return in summer 2023. She hasn’t hasn’t played since the following year’s US Open, but has never formally declared herself retired again.

Jennifer Capriati

American Jennifer Capriati’s career saw a different kind of hiatus.

She didn’t officially retire mid-career but played only one match between August 1993 and 1996, a period marked by personal struggles including drug issues and a shoplifting charge.

Reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final at 14, she claimed her maiden major title 11 years later, winning two Australian Open crowns and one French Open.