By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GettyImages.
The 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams will return to tennis, a little under four years after announcing she was “evolving away” from the sport she dominated.
Although Williams will start slowly in doubles, she will have the option of ramping up to singles in the following events.
Williams will be competing in doubles alongside Victoria Mboko, the Canadian player ranked No 9 in singles, at Queen’s Club in West Kensington.
Mboko was asked about Williams at the French Open last week. She said: “I’m very happy. Me and Serena have stayed in touch, which is really, really nice, because I really look up to her.”
On Monday, she shared a video on social media of her walking on to a tennis court containing the caption: “Guess everybody heard the news”, alongside a post which said: “Good news travels fast.”
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.”
Williams will take the court in London at the WTA 500 event 196 weeks after her final appearance at the 2022 US Open.
Williams’ 23 Grand Slam singles titles are the most by a woman in the Open era and second-highest of all-time in the women’s game, behind Margaret Court’s tally of 24.
She spent 319 weeks at the top of the world rankings and won 73 singles titles on the WTA Tour.
She also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with sister Venus Williams, with the pair going undefeated in major finals together, and won three Olympic doubles gold medals to go with her individual gold from London 2012.
She completed a career ‘Golden Slam’ in singles and doubles – winning all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold – and won every singles major at least three times.
Williams reached four major finals after returning from maternity leave with her first daughter in 2018 and also returned to the world’s top 10.
Meanwhile the French Open quarter-finals start on Tuesday, with Roland Garros awaiting two first-time singles champions in the same year for the first time since 2016.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will face compatriot Marta Kostyuk to secure a possible semi-final clash with Russian Mirra Andreeva, who plays Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
Alexander Zverev will appear in his eighth French Open quarter-final, as the former finalist continues the quest for his maiden Grand Slam title. He will play 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar, who has stormed into the last eight on his Roland Garros debut.
French Open order of Play on Tuesday (prefix number denotes seeding):
8-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v 18-Sorana Cirstea (Romania)
7-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v 15-Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine)
27-Rafael Jodar (Spain) v 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)
26-Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic) v 28-Joao Fonseca (Brazil).