Serena Williams in talks to return at Queen's Club next month
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Serena Williams in talks to return at Queen's Club next month

The 23-time Grand Slam champion is considering a doubles appearance at the WTA 500 event in London in June, nearly four years after stepping away.

1:09 PM

Serena Williams is in discussions about a potential return to competitive tennis at Queen's Club next month, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The 44-year-old American, who is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, is considering playing doubles at the WTA 500 event in London in two weeks' time. Nothing has yet been finalised, but Williams has been eligible to return to the sport since February 22, having completed six months back in the drug testing pool.

Williams last played competitive tennis in September 2022 at the US Open. Before that tournament, she announced she would "evolve away from tennis" to focus on her family and business ventures. In her goodbye letter, she declined to use the word "retirement," and over subsequent years gave several hints that she could "evolve back to tennis."

She entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency's Registered Testing Pool late last year, as players must make themselves available for anti-doping tests at least six months prior to competing in a professional tournament. The ITIA gave her clearance to return on February 22.

For the Queen's Club event, which begins on Monday, June 8, Williams would need a wildcard. Two wildcards are available for the grass court championship. Reports indicate she is being considered to play doubles with a top-10 player, though her partner has not been confirmed.

Williams has won seven singles titles and seven doubles titles at Wimbledon, which begins three weeks after the Queen's Club event concludes. She has also won 14 women's doubles Grand Slam titles, many of them alongside her sister Venus.

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