Serena Williams announces return to professional tennis

Dubai: Tennis legend Serena Williams is set to come out of retirement, ending her break from the sport, with the 23-time Grand Slam champion preparing for a return to competition.

Williams last competed professionally at the 2022 US Open.

Speculation about a possible comeback emerged last week, leading Williams to address the rumours in a video posted on Monday across Instagram, X, and Facebook, where she wrote: “guess everybody heard the news.”

"Good news travels fast," Williams wrote on the video, an ad for Nike that shows her picking up a ringing phone while on a tennis court.

Williams is set to make her comeback on the doubles tour after being handed a wildcard entry into the doubles draw at the 2026 HSBC Championships.

The WTA 500 event, also known as the Queen’s Club Championships, will take place in London from June 8 to 14.

The tournament did not announce Williams' partner, but she was linked last week to a potential union with No. 9 Victoria Mboko of Canada.

"Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter," Williams said in a news release.

"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."

The American was required to spend six months in tennis’ anti-doping testing pool before being eligible to return.

She notified the International Tennis Integrity Agency last year of her intention to re-enter the pool, despite having previously written on X in December that she was “not coming back” to the sport.

A return during the grass-court season also raises the possibility of her featuring at Wimbledon 2026, the third Grand Slam of the year.

Wimbledon has been one of her most successful tournaments, where she has won seven titles, matching her Australian Open tally as her most prolific Grand Slam event.