Serena Williams to make competitive return at Queen's Club

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 US 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.

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 to get ready 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.