Late in 2025, rumors began to swirl that Serena Williams was prepping for a return. She was cleared to compete by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in February 2026, though, and the question among tennis fans then wasn't if the legend was going to come back, but when. Now, we know the when.
Williams requested a wild card from the HSBC Championships, otherwise known as Queen's Club, in London, and appears set on playing at least doubles at the grass-court event. The tournament is a lead-up to Wimbledon, and one might safely assume that Williams will try to play in the grass-court major as well.
Her doubles partner has not yet been announced. She likely won't be playing singles right away either. She is 44 years old, and probably in great shape for a human being, but maybe not in wonderful shape for a tennis professional.
Serena Williams is officially back (but there's a catch)
Playing doubles will give her a chance to work her way back into the kind of form needed to not get bounced out of singles tournaments, should she choose to play those, early in events. While tennis fans would likely love to see Williams back on the court, what those fans wouldn't want to see is Williams return only to be a shell of her former self.
As opposed to the comebacks of players such as Naomi Osaka, Williams would naturally have less time to get back to the kind of form needed to win high-end tournaments. Osaka returned after more than a year's layoff in her 20s. As great as Williams was through the course of her career, almost every player is long retired by their mid-40s.
In other words, there should be excitement surrounding the return of one of the greatest players -- man or woman -- to ever pick up a racket; expectations need to be tempered. She may not play singles, and if she does, fans can't expect her to win those events. At least, not yet.
The G.O.A.T is BACK 🐐@serenawilliams is officially returning to the stage 💚
— wta (@WTA) June 1, 2026
Watch Serena's return at the #HSBCChampionships, Queen's Club from June 8th! pic.twitter.com/aNSswV7bjP
Even before she retired initially in 2022, she was no longer winning Masters 1000s or majors. Her last title at a Grand Slam came in 2017 at the Australian Open. Williams' last victory in a Masters tournament came in 2016 at the Italian Open.
The fun should be in watching her play, of course. Her opponents won't take it easy on her, and she won't take it easy on them. Just having Serena Williams back playing professional tennis should be a blast, though.
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