A legend is returning to the court, as Serena Williams officially accepted a wild-card doubles entry to the 2026 HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club alongside world No. 9 Victoria Mboko.
Williams confirmed the rumors via a teaser video showing her phone chiming as she walked across a tennis court, ending with the message “guess everybody heard the news.”
“Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter,” Williams said in a statement. “I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”
The 44-year-old hasn’t played professionally since the 2022 US Open, after stepping away from the WTA Tour while intentionally avoiding the word “retirement.”
Williams won 23 career Grand Slams — a women’s tennis record in the Open era — and 73 singles titles to total an estimated $94 million in prize money.
While she hasn’t announced plans beyond next week’s competition, the grass-court WTA 500 event provides an ideal warmup for Wimbledon — historically her best major tournament.
The 2026 HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club starts Monday, with official draws set to drop on Friday.
