Tennis great Serena Williams, 44, set to return four years after playing her last competitive match

NEW DELHI: Tennis great Serena Williams is set to make a surprise return to professional tennis nearly four years after her last competitive match. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has accepted a wild card entry for the women’s doubles event at Queen’s Club, set to be hosted between June 6 and June 21, 2026, marking her first tournament appearance since the 2022 US Open.The announcement was accompanied by a social media post from Williams, who shared a video of herself on court with the caption, “Good news travels fast.” The post quickly sparked excitement among tennis fans who have been waiting for signs of a comeback.Speculation about Williams’s return had been growing since December, when it emerged that she had re-entered tennis’ anti-doping programme, a necessary step for any player planning a comeback to the tour.The 44-year-old is reportedly set to partner rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko in the doubles competition, giving fans a chance to see one of the sport’s greatest champions back in action.Williams said Queen’s Club was the ideal venue for her return because of her long and successful history on grass courts.“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” said Williams.“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.”Her comeback is expected to be one of the biggest talking points of the grass-court season as tennis fans eagerly await her return to competition.