TL;DR
- Serena Williams returns to tennis after nearly four years.
- Competing in doubles with Victoria Mboko.
- Last played professionally in 2022.
- Teased comeback on social media.
- HSBC Championships start June 8.
Hold onto your tennis rackets, folks, because the one and only Serena Williams is making her grand return to competitive tennis at the HSBC Championships in London! After a nearly four-year hiatus, this tennis queen is ready to grace the courts once again, and we couldn’t be more excited.
The tournament announced on Monday that Williams will be teaming up with Victoria Mboko, a rising star and the ninth-ranked singles player in the WTA. Talk about a power duo! Williams, who is now 44, last competed in 2022, where she faced an early exit in the third round of the U.S. Open. At that time, she hinted at “evolving away from tennis,” which many interpreted as her retirement.
But wait—there’s more! Despite being on the sport’s retired players list, Williams has kept us all on our toes by re-entering the drug testing pool last year, which is a prerequisite for playing again. So, was it really retirement, or just a dramatic pause? Who knows, but we’re here for it!
Williams took to social media to tease her comeback, posting, “Good news travels fast.” And let’s be real, when it comes to Serena, it’s always good news. In her prime, she was the undisputed champion of women’s tennis, completing the “Serena Slam” not once, but twice! Winning four straight Grand Slam titles over two years is no small feat.
From 2012 onwards, she dominated the scene, snagging eight out of 13 singles majors, not to mention her gold medal at the London Olympics. And let’s not forget her incredible partnership with her sister, Venus Williams, with whom she won 14 doubles Grand Slam championships. Sister goals, anyone?
Her last singles major victory was at the 2017 Australian Open, where she defeated none other than her sister Venus while carrying a little secret—she was in the early stages of her pregnancy. Talk about multitasking!
https://x.com/QueensTennis/status/2061450214012022826
With 73 singles titles and 23 major championships under her belt, Serena is second only to Margaret Court in Grand Slam titles. She’s also the only player to have won all four major championships in both singles and doubles play. Now that’s what we call a legacy!
The HSBC Championships are set to kick off on June 8 and run through June 14 at the iconic Queen’s Club in West Kensington. Mark your calendars, because this is one match you won’t want to miss. Welcome back, Serena—we’re ready to cheer you on!