Serena Williams Returns to Professional Tennis with Doubles Victory
Serena Williams wins doubles match in first professional tennis competition since 2021.
Event / Sports
Serena Williams Tennis Comeback
Tennis legend Serena Williams, 44, returns to professional play after nearly four years, winning a doubles match at Queen's Club in London with Canadian Victoria Mboko. She has not yet decided on a singles return.
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2026-08-16 to 2026-11-13 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 10 Jun, 01:36 UTC
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What happened
Serena Williams reentered drug-testing pool in December, signaling possible return
In December, Serena Williams reentered the International Tennis Integrity Agency's drug-testing pool, a procedural step that led to speculation about a possible professional return. Williams had registered as retired with the agency in September 2022.
Serena Williams wins doubles match in first professional tennis competition in nearly four years
Serena Williams, 44, won her opening doubles match at Queen's Club in London on Tuesday, defeating third-seeded pair Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (2), 6-2. She partnered with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko. This was Williams' first professional match since the 2022 U.S. Open, representing her return to competitive tennis after nearly four years away from the sport.
Serena Williams announces professional doubles return at Queen's Club
Serena Williams announced her return to professional tennis as a wild-card doubles entry at the Queen's Club HSBC Championships grass-court tournament in London. She subsequently was also added to the doubles field at a WTA 500 event in Germany. Williams has not yet decided whether to pursue a singles comeback in addition to her doubles return.
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