ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA -- The WTA Tour has announced that Serena Williams will return to professional tennis, nearly four years after her retirement at the 2022 US Open. Williams, who will be 41 in September, is set to compete at the HSBC Championships, a WTA 500 tournament at the Queen's Club in London next week. She has been granted a wild card to participate in doubles, with her partner yet to be announced.
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Throughout her career, Williams has significantly impacted tennis. At 44 years and eight months old, she spent 319 weeks as the WTA World No.1 and holds a remarkable record of 73 singles titles, including 23 Grand Slam victories. Williams is also recognized for her achievements in doubles and holds the distinction of being the only player to win a ‘Career Golden Slam’ in both singles and doubles.
Valerie Camillo, Chair of the WTA, praised Williams, stating, "Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all time, with a legacy that extends far beyond the court. Her return is an expression of her passion for competition, and I cannot wait to see her face a new generation of top players."
As a mother of two daughters, Olympia and Adira, Williams joins a select group of nine singles No.1s who have returned to the WTA Tour after childbirth. Other notable players include Margaret Court and Kim Clijsters.
Martina Navratilova, who previously held the record for the oldest WTA World No.1 comeback, commented on Williams’ return: "Serena brought the game to another level, and it is incredible for the sport that she’s pushing the boundaries and coming back."
In recent years, Williams has ventured into entrepreneurship through her firm, Serena Ventures, which supports businesses founded by women and people of color. Her involvement in sports extends to investments in the WNBA team Toronto Tempo and NWSL's Angel City FC. Additionally, she featured in the Prime Video docuseries The CEO Club and took on an executive producer role through her company, Nine Two Six Productions.
Williams first entered the WTA qualifying matches in 1995 and achieved a Top 20 world ranking by the end of 1998, leading to a transformative career that began with her first WTA singles title in 1999. She became World No.1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and holds the record for the oldest player to achieve the ranking, returning to No.1 at age 35 in 2017.
In her career, Williams amassed an 858-156 win-loss record, ranking her fourth in all-time singles wins in WTA history. She also remains the all-time leader in prize money in women's sports, earning over $94.8 million. Despite retiring after the 2022 US Open, Williams has left an indelible mark on tennis and is anticipated to continue her legacy with her upcoming participation.