*Update*: Serena Williams receives wildcard for Queen's Club — comeback officially confirmed

Serena Williams is returning to the professional tour. The 23-time Grand Slam champion confirms according to Neue Zürcher Zeitung her participation in the doubles competition at the HSBC Championships at London's Queen's Club – a classic Wimbledon warm-up tournament taking place at the end of June. A wildcard secures her entry.

This turns rumour into certainty: Spiegel reports that Williams is returning to the tour after nearly four years away. She last played her final professional match at the US Open in 2022, then under intense media scrutiny as what was presumed to be her final appearance. Now, at 44 years old, the next chapter begins.

Official announcement after speculation

The move comes in stages. As The Guardian reports, Williams had initially denied it in recent weeks, then evaded the question – before officially announcing her return on Monday. Queen's Club is considered an ideal stage: the grass tournament at the prestigious London venue offers competitive practice on the surface where Williams won seven of her Grand Slam titles.

The doubles choice is deliberate. It allows Williams to build match rhythm without immediately bearing the physical burden of a singles main draw. Whether a Wimbledon singles entry will follow, she left open – but speculation in the tennis world has hardly diminished as a result.

Global reactions to the comeback

Reactions came promptly. Fans and media worldwide picked up on the comeback, with several commentators calling it one of the most unusual comebacks in sports history. Williams herself commented briefly but clearly: she was ready to take the court again.

The Berlin WTA event, which RBB first reported, was therefore only the first building block of a carefully planned comeback strategy – Queen's Club is the next.