Serena Williams Eyes Return to Tennis at Queen’s Club
Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, is preparing for a potential comeback to professional tennis on the grass courts of Queen’s Club in London, scheduled to begin in 10 days.
The American star last competed on court in New York during 2022. Having been part of the drug testing pool for six months, Williams is now eligible to return to competition at the age of 44.
Wild Card Entry and Partnership
According to The Served Podcast, hosted by former world No. 1 Andy Roddick and veteran journalist L Jon Wertheim, Williams is expected to seek a doubles wildcard entry alongside Victoria Mboko. Mboko is a 19-year-old Canadian player currently ranked No. 9 in singles. The Queen’s WTA 500 event, in its second edition, is set to commence on 8 June, one day after the conclusion of the French Open.
Training and Preparation
Speculation regarding Williams’ return has been widespread. The decorated American has been training in Florida for several months, working closely with Alycia Parks, who is ranked No. 79. In March, Parks shared a video of the duo practicing together.
Williams has not participated in any tournaments since the 2022 US Open. While she did not formally announce retirement, she was listed among retired players until her re-entry into the drug testing pool last year.
Reactions from Fellow Players
Naomi Osaka, who recently met Williams at the Met Gala and is currently competing at the French Open, expressed enthusiasm about Williams’ potential return:
“I don’t really care about [the] tennis,” she said. “I think it’s good for me. I’ll be very entertained. But overall the scope of it, I think it will bring people to watch tennis, which she always does bring an audience with her. So I think it’s good.
“I’m going to be tuned into the first match, for sure. I feel like for me everyone knows Serena and [her sister] Venus were my role models growing up, so it’s going to be cool to see her on the grounds again.”
Madison Keys, currently ranked world No. 5, also shared her thoughts:
“Serena Williams playing tennis is only good for tennis. Let’s be real, we all want to watch Serena play tennis. I am excited. I’m going to check some entry lists occasionally, see what pops up. But she’s the GOAT, so it would be amazing if she came back. You literally get to watch history every single time she takes the court, so why not watch more?”
