Word is circulating that Serena Williams is planning a return to professional tennis during the grass-court season, potentially beginning with the HSBC Championships in London. The information was first revealed on Any Roddick’s Served podcast, claiming the 44-year-old may return in doubles alongside Canadian star Victoria Mboko before potentially competing in singles again as well.
Williams has not confirmed the reports, but she became eligible to return to competition on February 22 after completing six months back in the anti-doping testing pool. Roddick suggested that this is definitely a strong indication that the 23-time Grand Slam champion is seriously considering another comeback. “If you enter doping protocols, you’re looking to come back,” Roddick said on the podcast.
Earlier this year, a similar view was also expressed by Sascha Bajin, Serena’s former hitting partner and coach, who indicated he believed a return to competition remained a realistic possibility.
Although many believed Williams played the final match of her career at the 2022 US Open, the American has never officially embraced the word “retirement.” After losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round in New York, she instead described herself as “evolving away” from tennis.
Meanwhile, older sister Venus Williams has continued making occasional appearances on the WTA Tour over the last few seasons. Venus, who is 15 months older than Serena, has already played seven tournaments this year. Her most recent singles victory came in Washington last July, shortly after celebrating her 45th birthday.
Venus had also been scheduled to compete in women’s doubles at this year’s French Open alongside Hailey Baptiste, but the pair withdrew from the tournament on Thursday. Organizers did not provide an official reason for the withdrawal, although Baptiste had been forced to retire from her second-round singles match against Wang Xiyu after appearing to injure her left leg late in the opening set.
The WTA returned to Queen’s Club in 2025 for the first time since 1973, bringing women’s tennis back to the historic London venue after more than five decades. The 2026 edition of the WTA 500 HSBC Championships is scheduled to take place June 8-14. The American great would need a wildcard, but there are two available for the grass court event.
