PARIS (AP) — Serena Williams is coming back to professional tennis at the age of 44, returning to the sport she dominated for two decades before famously “evolving” away from the daily grind of competition.
First up for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is the doubles tournament at Queen’s Club. But Wimbledon and the U.S. Open could be next.
“It seems like she’s trying to work her way up maybe to the U.S. Open, and those fans would be so ready to see her back on a singles court there,” former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport said at the French Open after the WTA Tour announced Monday that Williams has accepted a wild-card invitation to play doubles at next week’s grass-court tournament in London.
Williams won seven Wimbledon titles and six at the U.S. Open before stepping away from the game in 2022. In doubles, she won six titles at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open — all with her older sister Venus Williams.
John McEnroe suggested Williams could compete in singles at Wimbledon, which starts June 28.
“She’s not getting any younger but she’s Serena Williams so I bet you she would tell me about wanting to win the whole damn thing,” McEnroe said in Paris.
The Queen’s Club tournament starts next Monday and the WTA said Williams will play “with a partner to be announced in due course.”
“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said in a statement. “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 has not competed since bidding farewell at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, Williams said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis.
Davenport said some current women’s players went down to Florida to practice with Williams recently.
“I don’t think anyone’s admitted to that, but I do know that some of them were,” Davenport said. “So I think she has kind of a handle on where the level is. But I don’t know if she’s been playing a two-hour singles match, right? We’ll have to see how she can handle that physically.”
Williams, who has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles overall in her storied career, became eligible to compete in February after re-registering with tennis’ mandatory anti-doping program six months earlier — which is the first step toward a comeback.
Djokovic is competitive at 39
Davenport noted how Novak Djokovic is still competitive at 39 — having recently pushed 19-year-old Joao Fonseca to five sets before getting beaten in the third round in Paris.
“It’s not going to be easy. If anyone could do it, certainly it could be her,” Davenport said of Williams. “We’re seeing kind of an unprecedented time with players and how they train now, being able to play better longer, play at a level that we never expected.
“She always looks in incredible shape; and better shape than arguably when she left.”
While Williams’ big serve automatically gives her an advantage on grass, it’s a surface that also presents unique challenges because of the speed of play and low bounces.
“Grass is a tough surface to start on,” Davenport said. “It goes very quick, very low, very physical, not as much running as clay, but a lot of bending. … She wouldn’t come back unless she knew she could play at such a high level. But we’ve got to be a little graceful in the time we give her until she hits her feet.”
Williams sisters were role models for Osaka
Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who beat Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open final for her first major title, was excited at the prospect.
“It will bring people to watch tennis,” Osaka said Thursday. “I’m going to be tuned into the first match, for sure. I think a lot of people are. Everyone knows Serena and Venus were my role models growing up, so it’s going to be cool to see her on the grounds again.”
Williams recently posted a video on Instagram showing herself training on a hard court with her daughter: “Rumor has it…I got a new trainer,” Williams said in the post.
Williams’ second daughter was born in 2023.
Venus Williams, who also had a stint at No. 1 in the rankings and is a five-time Wimbledon champion, is still playing occasionally at 45.
McEnroe played doubles at 47
McEnroe was 47 when he returned after 12 years of retirement and won a tour-level doubles tournament with partner Jonas Bjorkman.
“Physically I still had it for doubles, so she definitely could still have it for doubles, there’s no question about that. She could win anything (in doubles),” McEnroe said. “The singles is more difficult. … I’m not really sure what the plan is. She hasn’t called me to tell me the plan.”
Gauff never got to play Williams
“One of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her,” defending French Open champion Coco Gauff said.
Eighteen-year-old American player Iva Jovic was also thrilled.
“I have never seen Serena in real life,” Jovic said. “Obviously I grew up watching her. In my entire childhood she was dominating tennis.”
Added fellow American player Madison Keys: “Serena Williams playing tennis is only good for tennis. Let’s be real. We all want to watch Serena play tennis.
“I mean, you literally get to watch history every single time she takes the court,” Keys added. “So why not watch more?”
Women returned to Queen’s after more than 50 years
A women’s tournament rejoined the men’s competition at Queen’s last year after an absence of more than 50 years, meaning Williams will be making her debut at the historic grass-court tournament.
“Women’s tennis made a historic return to the Queen’s Club last year,” Queen’s tournament director Laura Robson said, “and now we have an icon of the game stepping back on to court at this prestigious venue.”
AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.
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