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

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