A clip showing Serena Williams back on a tennis court has generated curiosity about what to expect from her return. While many questions remain about her physical readiness, the footage indicates she is taking this preparation seriously.

The video gained attention after X user Max Gao reposted a 53-second clip originally shared on Serena Williams' official TikTok account.

Practising on an indoor hard court, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion showcased sharp lateral drills and explosive side-to-side footwork.

Williams hit her forehands with topspin and depth, even pulling off a jumping forehand shot. Her backhands looked controlled. 

This training is all leading up to a competitive return after nearly four years away from professional tennis. Williams accepted a wildcard into the women's doubles draw at the HSBC Championships at The Queen's Club in London, which runs from June 8 to June 14, 2026. 

She is only playing doubles at this tournament and has partnered with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko. T

Williams expressed her excitement about the venue choice during her official announcement. She stated that Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter. 

She added that grass has given her some of the most meaningful moments of her career, and she is excited to be back. 

The training video shows the hard work she is putting in before she steps back onto a match court.

Why Serena Williams’ Return Means More Than Just One Tournament

Williams last played a professional match at the 2022 US Open, where she lost a close three-hour match to Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia. After that emotional night, Williams did not use the word retirement and instead stated she was evolving away from tennis. 

She entered the WTA anti-doping testing pool in October 2025 to complete the required six-month waiting period for a return.

When initial rumors started around late last year, Williams wrote on social media that she was not coming back and called the rumors fake. However, she later posted a video walking off a court with a caption about good news traveling fast.

The upcoming tournament in London is just the first step of an open-ended return. Williams has already added the Berlin Tennis Open to her schedule to get more doubles match play. 

While there is no singles schedule confirmed yet, analysts are already looking toward Wimbledon as a potential next step if her body handles the physical demands well.

At age 44 and now a mother of two daughters, Williams is testing her limits against a much younger generation of players.

Her opening-round match on Monday against No. 3 seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez will provide the real answers about what her next chapter will look like.

Share your thoughts on how Williams and Mboko will perform as a duo next week.

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Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Koushik Biswas