Wimbledon's grass courts have played host to some of tennis history’s most profound and amazing moments, and for Serena Williams, they may be about to host one more. After nearly 4 years away from the sport, the 23-time Grand Slam champion is preparing to return.

Williams announced that she will be playing women’s doubles at Queen’s Club this month, receiving a wildcard for the WTA 500 taking place June 8.

It is expected that she will be playing alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. However, the organizers have yet to confirm the pairing.

This comeback matters. The last official match that Williams played was at the 2022 US Open. Therefore, her appearance at Queen’s Club will mark 196 weeks since that match.

The 2022 US Open will be remembered as the last match of the player who dedicated 27 years of her life to tennis and won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, as she gave her farewell to the sport.

Writing on the Lawn Tennis Association website, 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 am excited to be back competing on one of the sport's most iconic stages."

That connection to grass is acknowledged. Williams has 7 singles and 7 doubles titles earned at Wimbledon, which starts 3 weeks post Queen’s Club. She will require a wildcard to play at SW19. Now that her return is confirmed and grass season is upon us, that discussion is no longer theoretical.

Williams’ return has sparked mass conversation. To see why, take a look at what she built while playing for 27 years.

Serena Williams Built a Legacy That Makes Her Comeback Matter 

Serena Williams built a legacy much larger than just winning matches. She completely transformed the landscape of the sport, and her numbers show.

Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, the most in the Open Era and 1 behind all-time leader Margaret Court, who is at 24. Williams was the world No. 1 for a record 319 weeks. She is also a 73-time WTA singles champion.

Alongside Venus, she won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and never lost a major final as a pair, adding three Olympic doubles gold medals to go with her individual gold at London 2012.

That completed a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles, every Grand Slam title and Olympic gold accounted for.

After giving birth to her first daughter in 2018, she returned, cracked the top 10 again, and reached four more major finals.

Since retiring in 2022, she welcomed a second daughter in 2023 and last year told the Today Show she had lost 31 pounds over eight months. She is returning on her own terms and in the best shape she has been in years.

Are you excited to see Serena Williams back on the court? Comment down below.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta