Serena Williams is returning to competitive tennis after nearly four-year absence

Serena Williams will make her return to professional tennis at the HSBC Championships in London later this month, the tournament announced Monday.

Williams will be competing in the doubles event with 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, currently the ninth-ranked singles player in the WTA.

Williams, 44, last competed professionally in 2022, losing in the third round at the U.S. Open. In August of that year, Williams announced she would be “evolving away from tennis,” in what was widely understood to be her retirement.

Before the tournament confirmed her comeback, Williams teased her return on Monday with a social media post on X, writing, “Good news travels fast.”

Despite not competing in nearly four years, Williams never officially announced her full retirement from tennis. Though she did appear on the sport’s retired players list, Williams fueled speculation last year after she re-entered the drug testing pool, a prerequisite for playing again.

In her prime, Williams was the most dominant force in women’s tennis. On two separate occasions, Williams completed the “Serena Slam,” winning four straight Grand Slam titles over the course of two years.

Starting with Wimbledon in 2012, Williams went on a stretch of winning eight of 13 singles majors, including a gold medal at the London Olympics.

In addition to her solo dominance, Williams won 14 doubles Grand Slam championships, all with her sister Venus.

Williams last won a singles major at the 2017 Australian Open, defeating her sister Venus. Williams was in the early stages of her pregnancy during the tournament.

After turning pro in 1995, Williams won 73 singles titles, including 23 majors, during her career. She is second only to Margaret Court in Grand Slam titles, and she is the only player to win all four major championships in both singles and doubles play.

The HSBC Championships will begin on June 8 and run through June 14 at the Queen’s Club in West Kensington.

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