Buzz on tour as Serena Williams announces much-awaited return at Queen’s Club Championships
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Tennis great Serena Williams, who won the last of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles in 2017, received a wildcard entry into the doubles draw.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – The buzz among players was palpable after American great Serena Williams announced on June 1 her long-anticipated return to competitive tennis.
It will come at the Queen’s Club Championships in June after a prolonged absence, as the 44-year-old reignited memories of her dominance over two decades.
Williams, who won the last of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles in 2017 and has not competed since the 2022 US Open, received a wildcard entry into the doubles draw, the London-based club said in a statement.
She posted a video on social media in which she was shown walking off a tennis court to her buzzing phone.
“Guess everybody heard the news,” she said, while the post had the caption: “Good news travels fast.”
The news definitely made waves on the WTA Tour.
Her successor as the American standard-bearer Coco Gauff was excited at the prospect of playing Williams.
Said the world No. 4: “One of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her... I think it would be cool for this sport to have a legend back playing.”
Others were excited to just watch Williams in action again.
Said four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka: “I think it will bring people to watch tennis – she always does bring an audience with her.
“I’m going to be tuned into the first match, for sure. I think a lot of people are.”
“We all want to watch Serena play tennis. But, yeah, I mean, she’s the GOAT,” added 2025 Australian Open winner Madison Keys. “I mean, you literally get to watch history every single time she takes the court, so why not watch more?”
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, meanwhile, called it “inspiring”.
She said: “She has a really cool personality. She’s fun and she’s a legend. It’s inspiring to see, you know? I’m actually excited to see her play and probably face her, so it’s very cool. It’s very good news for tennis.”
Speculation around Williams’ return had intensified after she was cleared to officially enter tournaments after rejoining the tennis anti-doping testing pool in 2025.
In March, 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic predicted a return for Williams and a number of players have spoken about the subject at the ongoing French Open.
“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” former world No. 1 Williams, now a mother of two daughters, said in the statement.
Multiple British reports said that Williams will team up with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, after requesting a wild card for the June 8-14 tournament.
The attention will now shift to whether Wimbledon, where Williams won seven singles titles, will also offer her a path to compete at the All England Club when the grass-court Grand Slam gets under way on June 29.
Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe said he was “semi-shocked” by her decision, but added the “logical next step” would be for her to enter the singles draw at the grass-court Grand Slam.
“She’s not coming back as ‘I’m happy to play and it’s fun’ – she wants to go win another Major,” he said on TNT Sports.
She had retired from professional tennis after a third-round loss at the US Open. She said before the event that she was “evolving away from tennis” to prioritise other aspects of life – only to announce a return nearly four years later.
Williams has earned nearly US$95 million (S$120 million) in prize money and is believed to be the highest-paid woman athlete of all time.
The door is now open for a potential revival of her successful doubles partnership with her sister Venus, who is 15 months older and still playing on the circuit.
The pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together. REUTERS, AFP
