Toronto is taking center stage, as ESPN announced plans for Setting The Tempo, a four-part docuseries on the launch of Canada’s first WNBA franchise.
Backers include Tempo investors Serena Williams and Masai Ujiri, alongside actor Ryan Reynolds and Good Morning America host Robin Roberts.
“Setting the Tempo presents a rare opportunity for fans to see what it truly takes to build a successful organization, shining a spotlight on the female executives whose decisions and vision are laying the foundation for the future,” ESPN Originals VP & Executive Producer Lindsay Rovegno said in a statement.
Currently without a premiere date, the series follows head coach Sandy Brondello, GM Monica Wright Rogers, and stars Brittney Sykes and Marina Mabrey as they navigate the team’s inaugural season.
The All England Club announced on Tuesday that Serena and Venus Williams received a wildcard entry for the women's doubles draw at Wimbledon 2026.
The announcement marks the sisters' first competitive pairing since the 2022 US Open.
Recounting the Williams Sisters' Road to Wimbledon 2026
Serena, now 44, returned to professional tennis after a four-year hiatus earlier this year. She partnered with Canadian teen Victoria Mboko at the Queen's Club championships, but withdrew early after Mboko suffered a match-ending injury.
Venus, who turns 46 this week, still plays selective events. The 11-time Wimbledon winner earned a wild cared entry at the Australian Open earlier this year and has competed on the WTA 2026 tour.
They won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles between them from 2000 to 2016 — with six coming from Wimbledon alone. However, the pair has never lost a WTA major doubles final.
Beyond doubles, questions remain about how the Williams sisters might feature in Wimbledon's singles draw. Organizers left one women's wild-card spot open. Serena hasn't ruled out a singles entry, though she plans to test her form in doubles first.
For now, the pairing marks a return to the grass courts where the Williams sisters built much of their doubles resume.
Serena Williams is taking her WTA comeback tour to Germany — and possibly setting off on a collision course with fellow US star Coco Gauff.
And after winning her opening doubles match at Queen's Club last week, the 23-time Grand Slam champion entered the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open with a new partner.
Williams will now pair with world No. 10 Karolina Muchova for the WTA 500 grass-court event. Muchova is one of the WTA's best volleyers, making her a natural fit for grass-court doubles alongside Williams. The two face Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe in Tuesday's first round.
Serena Williams Could Face Coco Gauff in the WTA Berlin Draw
If the pair advance past their first two rounds, their Berlin Open path could get very interesting.
The draw could see the duo meet No. 7 Coco Gauff and No. 4 Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. Gauff and Pegula remain one of the tour's top doubles teams, with the potential matchup pitting two generational US talents against each other on the same court.
Beyond the German tournament, Williams has said she is still weighing her options ahead of this month's Wimbledon Grand Slam.
"It's just a day at a time," she said. "I still have a little time to decide, and they have been great about giving me that space and time to decide."
Of course, a deep run in Berlin could help shape that choice.
The WTA grass-court season is here, and the 2026 Berlin Open has the field to prove it.
Nine of the world's Top 10 players will compete at the Rot-Weiss Tennis Club from June 15th through June 21st, making it one of the strongest fields ahead of the Wimbledon Grand Slam.
WTA Stars Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff Lead Singles Draw
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Elena Rybakina lead the 28-player singles draw as the top two seeds. No. 7 Coco Gauff joins them as she sharpens her game ahead of the All England Club.
Meanwhile, former Berlin champion Jessica Pegula and newly crowned French Open winner Mirra Andreeva add even more depth to the women's bracket. The official draw for the WTA tournament drops on Friday, June 12th.
But the singles draw isn't the only reason to watch the Berlin Open.
Serena Williams Returns for 2026 Berlin Open Doubles
Serena Williams accepted a wildcard entry to the 16-team doubles field alongside partner Karolina Muchova.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion recently returned to grass at Queen's Club. However, her doubles run was cut short when partner Victoria Mboko withdrew with a knee injury.
Mboko was also slated to compete at WTA Berlin 2026, but her status is still unknown.
With additional top-ranked players like No. 26 Madison Keys, No. 18 Sorana Cirstea, and No. 22 Elise Mertens also entering the draw, the Berlin Open provides a sneak peek of what's to come on at Wimbledon later this month.
Serena Williams saw her Queen's Club doubles run end Thursday, after partner Victoria Mboko withdrew from the tournament with a knee injury. The 23-time Grand Slam champion had returned to competitive tennis just two days earlier at the 2026 HSBC Championships.
On Tuesday, Williams paired with the 19-year-old Canadian for her first competitive match in four years.
Together, they defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe in straight sets in front of a packed London crowd. The win set up a quarterfinal meeting with Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund.
However, the quarterfinal won't be taking place.
Mboko Withdraws from Williams Partnership with Knee Injury
Victoria Mboko slipped on the grass during her Wednesday singles match debut against Karolina Plíšková and injured her left knee. Citing a lack of stability, Mboko subsequently exited the Queen's Club grass court.
The world No. 9 was unable to recover in time for today's doubles commitment, forcing her to withdraw just hours before the scheduled match with Serena Williams.
Still, Williams's comeback tour continues. She heads to the Berlin Open next week to resume her doubles campaign alongside Karolina Muchova.
Mboko, meanwhile, will look to bounce back before opening her Wimbledon singles campaign later this month.
Victoria Mboko withdrew from her first-round singles match at the 2026 HSBC Championships on Wednesday, after the 19-year-old Canadian slipped and fell while trailing Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 3-4 on grass.
Mboko reportedly told her physiotherapist she had "no stability" after the fall, limping back to her bench and putting a towel to her face. Despite taking an immediate medical timeout, the tournament's No. 3 seed could not continue her grass-court singles debut at London's Queen's Club.
Mboko Injury Looms Over Doubles Run with Serena Williams
The setback now puts the world No. 9's doubles partnership with Serena Williams in doubt.
Williams, 44, returned to competitive tennis at Queen's Club after nearly four years away from the WTA Tour. Her last professional match came at the 2022 US Open.
On Tuesday, the pair opened with a straight-sets win over third-seeded Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez, 7-6(2), 6-2. They are next scheduled to face Canada's Leylah Fernandez and Germany's Laura Siegemund in Thursday's quarterfinals.
Whether Mboko can recover in time will determine if the partnership continues in the WTA 500 event.
Serena Williams is back in the winner’s column, as the US tennis icon made a triumphant return to the court in Tuesday’s 7-6, 6-2 doubles victory alongside partner Victoria Mboko.
Playing in her first pro match since 2022, wildcard entry Williams and singles world No. 9 Mboko won a tricky first set against No. 3 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe before comfortably taking the second.
“I was nervous, but I didn’t really think about it,” Williams said postmatch. “I just thought about having fun, which I did.”
The 44-year-old hasn’t confirmed her plans beyond this week’s HSBC Championships, opting instead to stay focused on Thursday’s quarterfinal.
“I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?” Williams told reporters. “I never got to play here, it was always just the men. It feels really special to play somewhere so iconic.”
Serena Williams drew a tough first-round opponent for her Queen's Club doubles comeback.
She and 19-year-old partner Victoria Mboko will open against No. 3 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe at the HSBC Championships. The match is set for June 9th in London.
Williams & Mboko Gear Up for Queen's Club Doubles Opener
Routliffe holds two Grand Slam doubles titles, while Melichar-Martinez has 19 WTA doubles trophies. But the seeded pair has never played a competitive match together.
Melichar-Martinez had planned to partner with Cristina Bucsa. However, she withdrew late with an injury. Routliffe, meanwhile, has teamed with several partners in 2026, including Jelena Ostapenko. And that late shuffle could work in Williams and Mboko's favor.
For Williams, the match marks a return to competitive play after stepping away from the sport in 2022, and she's chosen a partner already making a name on tour. Mboko has had strong showings at her last few WTA tournaments, including a finals appearance at the 2026 Strasbourg Open.
The pairing blends Williams's Grand Slam experience with the Canadian's recent form on clay and grass.
Still, Melichar-Martinez and Routliffe should give the newly formed duo stiff competition when they meet in the opening round.
How to Watch Serena Williams at the 2026 HSBC Championships
The Queen's Club runs through June 14th, with live coverage on The Tennis Channel.
Serena Williams will continue her tennis comeback at the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open, adding the German WTA 500 event to her doubles schedule.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion will join the 16-team doubles draw, naming her partner in the coming weeks.
Williams's grass-court addition follows a June 8th wildcard entry at Queen's Club, where she'll team up with world No. 9 Victoria Mboko.
"Every tournament I add to my schedule right now feels special, and Berlin is no exception," Williams told reporters. "I'm excited to compete in front of the German fans and continue building momentum throughout the grass-court season."
The 44-year-old announced her return on Monday, after nearly four years away from professional tennis. The 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion brings star power to an already-stacked Berlin field.
"I didn't think that our world-class field featuring nine Top 10 players could be topped," said Berlin Open Director of Excitement Andrea Petkovic. "But welcoming Serena Williams to Berlin is pure excitement. It doesn't get any better than that!"
Williams last played at Steffi-Graf-Stadion in 2008, where she reached the quarterfinals but lost to Dinara Safina in three sets.
"It might be a unique opportunity to see Serena Williams on the court in Berlin again," said tournament director Markus Zoecke. "We are immensely looking forward to her and her matches."
Where to Watch Serena Williams at the 2026 Berlin Tennis Open
The 2026 Berlin Tennis Open starts June 15th, with live coverage on The Tennis Channel.
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.