Four years after her last match, former world No. 1 Serena Williams announces her return to competition to play the Queen’s doubles tournament

The rumor had swelled in recent days in the alleys of Porte d’Auteuil, it is now official. Serena Williams, 44 years old and 23 Grand Slam titles, published a video on her X account, Monday June 1, to announce her big return to competition. In the process, the famous British tournament at Queen’s, the first major grass event of the season (June 15 to 21), announced that the American legend would play the tournament in doubles.

“The Queen is back”wrote the organizers of Queen’s in a message published on

Serena Williams returns to the circuit almost a year after her older sister Venus, who resumed her professional career at the age of 45 in July 2025. The Queen’s announcement puts an end to several months of speculation, fueled by the re-registration of the American on the list of players who may be subject to random anti-doping controls.

Ranked world number 1 for 319 weeks, Serena Williams has won 73 singles titles on the main circuit (between 1999 and 2020). After her defeat in the third round of the US Open in September 2022, the American legend announced that she “évoluait” further from tennis, without formally affirming that it was the end of his professional career.

“Serena has taken the sport to a new level. It’s incredible for tennis that she’s pushing the limits and coming back.”declared in the WTA press release Martina Navratilova, who until then held the record for the oldest former world No. 1 to attempt a return to the circuit. “A lot of the younger players on the tour have never had the opportunity to play against her. Some may not have even seen her play on television, so it’s going to be a new and exciting experience.”she added.