One of the worst kept screts in tennis is out with Serena Williams confirming she will make her comeback to tennis in just over a week.
Nearly four years after losing against Ajla Tomljanovic in the round of 32 at the 2022 US Open, Williams has announced that she will return to tennis with her first tournament taking place on the grass courts in London.
Her comeback announcement was a short video captioned “Good news travels fast” on social media of her phone ringing and then followed by the message: “Guess everybody heard the news”.
She ends by saying: “I gotta change my number.”
Not long after Queen’s Club Championship organisers got in on the act as they announced they will have the honour of hosting the 23-time Grand Slam in her first event back as she will compete in the doubles.
In a statement, Williams said: “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.”
WTA Tournament Director Laura Robson added: “Serena Williams is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, and we’re delighted that she will be making her return to tennis at the LTA’s HSBC Championships.
“Women’s tennis made a historic return to The Queen’s Club last year, and now we have an icon of the game stepping back on to court at this prestigious venue – it’s very exciting for the tournament and the fans.”
It has been reported she will play alongside exciting youngster Victoria Mboko, but it is yet to be confirmed.
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When rumours that Williams would team up with the 19-year-old Canadian broke last week, Mboko was determined not to steal the tennis great’s thunder as she told the media: “I think for me I wanna kinda leave the moment for her.
“I feel like if she’s ready to come back on her own terms, then I feel like it’s up to her to announce that. Other than that, I don’t have much to say.
“The moment is all up to her and when she’s ready to come back. It’s up to her.”
Williams will play only doubles at the WTA 500 tournament – with first-round matches getting underway on Monday, 8 June and concluding with the finals on Sunday, 14 June.
What’s To Come After Queen’s Club?
German media has reported that the American will return to singles action at the Berlin Open as she will join a high-class field at the WTA 500 event from 15-21 June.
Nine of the world’s top-10 players have signed up for the tournament, with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka leading the line-up that will also include Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Elina Svitolina, Mirra Andreeva and Mboko.
It remains to be seen if she will also play doubles at the Rot-Weiss Tennis Club.
The Berlin event will be preparation for Wimbledon as insiders have revealed she has received a wildcard for the grass-court Grand Slam.
Williams’ last match on grass was on 28 June, 2022 at Wimbledon when she also received a wildcard into the main draw after slipping out of the top 600 in the WTA Rankings, but she was beaten in the first round by Harmony Tan with the Frenchwoman winning 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7).
The post Serena Williams’ possible grass-court schedule as tennis great announces her return appeared first on Tennis365.
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