Tennis-Serena to make much-awaited return at Queen’s Club Championships

June 1 (Reuters) – Tennis great Serena Williams will make her long-anticipated competitive comeback to tennis at the age of 44 on grass at Queen’s Club in London this month as a wildcard entry into the doubles draw, the club said in a statement on Monday.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion last played on the WTA Tour in September 2022, when she retired from professional tennis after a third-round loss at the U.S. Open.

“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter. 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,” Williams was quoted as saying.

Valerie Camillo, chair of the WTA, said the tour is thrilled to welcome Williams back.

“Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all-time, with a legacy that extends far beyond the court… I cannot wait to see her face a new generation of top players,” Camillo said in a statement.

“We are thrilled to welcome her back to the WTA Tour at this hugely exciting moment for women’s tennis.”

Williams had re-entered the sport’s anti-doping pool last year, spurring rumours of her return. The rumours persisted after she playfully dodged questions about coming back in an interview on NBC.

Novak Djokovic said in March that Williams could target Wimbledon for her comeback, while her former coach Rick Macci said she was “going all out” in training for a return to the sport she dominated for two decades along with her sister Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam winner.

Venus, 15 months older than Serena, is still playing and competed at the Australian Open in January as a wildcard.

(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Christian Radnedge)