Serena Williams is discussing a possible doubles return at Queen’s Club in June, four years after stepping away from competitive tennis.
Serena Williams is in discussions about a possible return to competitive tennis in doubles at Queen’s Club next month, according to BBC Sport.
No arrangement has been finalised, and any appearance by Williams at the WTA 500 grass-court event in London would require a wildcard. Two doubles wildcards remain available for the tournament, which begins Monday, 8 June.
The prospect is notable because Williams, 44, has not played a competitive match since the 2022 US Open, where she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round after saying she was “evolving away” from tennis rather than retiring. She became eligible to return on 22 February after completing six months back in the sport’s drug-testing pool.
Williams is one of the most accomplished players in tennis history, with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by a woman in the Open era. She also won 14 major women’s doubles titles with her sister Venus Williams, along with three Olympic gold medals in doubles.
BBC Sport reported that the Served podcast, hosted by former men’s world No. 1 Andy Roddick, claimed Williams would play at Queen’s with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, but said it had not confirmed that pairing.
A Queen’s appearance would come shortly before Wimbledon, which starts three weeks later. Williams has won seven singles titles and seven doubles titles at Wimbledon.
The Lawn Tennis Association has generally prioritised British players for wildcards at domestic grass-court events, though officials have left room for exceptions. LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said in April that wildcard opportunities are usually afforded to British players, while acknowledging there could be “exceptional circumstances” that influence a unique decision.
For now, the key questions are whether Williams accepts a Queen’s wildcard, who she would partner if she plays, and whether a London doubles appearance would be a one-off return or the start of a broader competitive comeback.
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