US tennis giant Serena Williams confirmed on Monday that she will return to the sport, after it became known that she would compete in doubles at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club next week.
“Guess everybody heard the news,” she wrote in an Instagram video post, which showed her walking on the court, racket in hand.
Williams won her lastย Grand Slam singles titleย in 2017. She has not competed in tennis since the 2022 US Open. Since then, she gave birth to two daughters.
The tennis legend never actually used the word ‘retirement’ when she stepped away from tennis, saying instead that she would be “evolving away” from the sport.ย
Speculation โaround Williams’ return to tennis was fueled by her re-entry in December into the anti-doping program, which is a prerequisite to play on the tour again.
“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said in the statement.
“Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of โmy career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages,” she added.
‘Exciting moment’ for women’s tennis
Williams stepped away from the court with 23 grand slams, having earned nearly $95 million (โฌ81 million) in prize money and she is believed to be the highest-paid female athlete of all time.
Since then, she has focused on entrepreneurial projects through her venture capital fund Serena Ventures, which has stakes in a number of sports teams.
Lawn Tennis Association and tournament director Laura Robson celebrated Williams’ return to the court.
“Serena Williams is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, and we’re delighted that she will be making her return to tennis at the LTA’s HSBC Championships,” Robson said.
“Women’s tennis made a historic return to The Queen’s Club last year and now we have an icon of the game stepping back on to court at this prestigious venue โ it’s very exciting for the tournament and the fans,” she added.
The chair of the women’s tennis body WTA, Valerie Camillo, said the tour was thrilled to have her back.
“Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all time, with a legacy that extends far beyond the court… I cannot wait to see her face a new generation of top players,” Camillo said.
“We are thrilled to welcome her back to the WTA Tour at this hugely exciting moment for women’s tennis,” she added.
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Edited by: Roshni Majumdar