PARIS (AP) 鈥� is coming back to at the age of 44, returning to the sport she dominated for two decades before famously 鈥渆volving鈥� away from the daily grind of competition.
First up for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is the doubles tournament at Queen鈥檚 Club. But Wimbledon and the U.S. Open could be next.
鈥淚t seems like she鈥檚 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,鈥� former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport said at the after the WTA Tour announced Monday that Williams has accepted a wild-card invitation to play doubles at next week鈥檚 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 鈥� all with her older sister Venus Williams.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a legend. It鈥檚 inspiring to see,鈥� top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see her play and probably face her. … It鈥檚 very good news for tennis.鈥�
John McEnroe suggested Williams could compete in singles at Wimbledon, which starts June 28.
鈥淪he鈥檚 not getting any younger but she鈥檚 Serena Williams so I bet you she would tell me about wanting to win the whole damn thing,鈥� McEnroe said in Paris.
The Queen鈥檚 Club tournament starts next Monday and the WTA said Williams will play 鈥渨ith a partner to be announced in due course.鈥�
鈥淨ueen鈥檚 Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,鈥� Williams said in a statement. 鈥淕rass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career and I鈥檓 excited to be back competing on one of the sport鈥檚 most iconic stages.鈥�
Williams has not competed . At the time, Williams said she didn鈥檛 want to use the word 鈥渞etiring鈥� and instead declared that she was 鈥渆volving鈥� away from tennis.
Davenport said some current women鈥檚 players went down to Florida to practice with Williams recently.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anyone鈥檚 admitted to that, but I do know that some of them were,鈥� Davenport said. 鈥淪o I think she has kind of a handle on where the level is. But I don鈥檛 know if she鈥檚 been playing a two-hour singles match, right? We鈥檒l have to see how she can handle that physically.鈥�
Williams, who has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles overall in her storied career, after re-registering with tennis鈥� mandatory anti-doping program six months earlier 鈥� which is the first step toward a comeback.
Djokovic is competitive at 39
Davenport noted how 鈥� having recently pushed 19-year-old Joao Fonseca to five sets before getting beaten in the third round in Paris.
“It鈥檚 not going to be easy. If anyone could do it, certainly it could be her,” Davenport said of Williams. 鈥淲e鈥檙e 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.
鈥淪he always looks in incredible shape; and better shape than arguably when she left.鈥�
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.
鈥淕rass 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鈥檛 come back unless she knew she could play at such a high level. But we鈥檝e got to be a little graceful in the time we give her until she hits her feet.鈥�
Williams sisters were role models for Osaka
Four-time major champion , who beat Williams in the 2018 U.S. Open final for her first major title, was excited at the prospect.
鈥淚t will bring people to watch tennis,鈥� Osaka said Thursday. 鈥淚鈥檓 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鈥檚 going to be cool to see her on the grounds again.鈥�
Williams recently posted on a hard court with her daughter: 鈥淩umor has it鈥 got a new trainer,鈥� Williams said in the post.
Williams鈥� 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.
鈥淧hysically I still had it for doubles, so she definitely could still have it for doubles, there鈥檚 no question about that. She could win anything (in doubles),鈥� McEnroe said. 鈥淭he singles is more difficult. … I鈥檓 not really sure what the plan is. She hasn鈥檛 called me to tell me the plan.鈥�
Gauff never got to play Williams
鈥淥ne of my biggest regrets was not being able to play her,鈥� said.
Added fellow American player Madison Keys: 鈥淪erena Williams playing tennis is only good for tennis. Let鈥檚 be real. We all want to watch Serena play tennis.
鈥淚 mean, you literally get to watch history every single time she takes the court,鈥� Keys added. 鈥淪o why not watch more?鈥�
Women returned to Queen’s after more than 50 years
A women鈥檚 tournament rejoined the men鈥檚 competition at Queen鈥檚 last year after an absence of more than 50 years, meaning Williams will be making her debut at the historic grass-court tournament.
鈥淎nd now,鈥� said Queen鈥檚 tournament director Laura Robson, “we have an icon of the game stepping back on to court at this prestigious venue.”
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AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.
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