Everything you need to know about Serena Williams' return to the WTA Tour

For the first time in nearly four years, Serena Williams will compete on the WTA stage.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion will make her highly anticipated comeback this week at the HSBC Championships, where she will partner Victoria Mboko in doubles.

Williams' return marks her first appearance on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz since 2022. Here's everything you need to know about her comeback -- and how to watch all the action.

When and where is Serena coming back?

Williams has received a wild card into the doubles draw at the grass-court HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club, in London.

Teaming with Mboko, they'll play third-seeded Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe in the first round on Monday.

"Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter," Williams said after announcing her return. "Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I'm excited to be back competing on one of the sport's most iconic stages."

Williams is one of the most accomplished doubles players of all-time. She won 22 doubles titles with sister Venus Williams, including a perfect 14-0 record in Grand Slam finals.

Queen's Club is one of the few stops on the calendar Williams never had the opportunity to play, as the tournament returned to the WTA calendar in 2025 after an absence of more than 50 years.

"Me and Serena have stayed in touch, which is really, really nice, because I really look up to her," Mboko said at Roland Garros last week. "I mean, the fact that she even knows me is very -- it's very exciting. ... She's my idol."

Mboko said Williams followed her progress during her hiatus from tennis, occasionally reaching out with supportive text messages. Now, the mentor and rising star will share the same side of the net.

Where can fans watch Serena's return?

Fans in the United States can watch Williams' return at the HSBC Championships on Tennis Channel, with live coverage of the tournament available throughout the week. To see the full Tennis Channel schedule, click here.

In the United Kingdom, Williams' return will be broadcast throughout the week on BBC platforms. Early-round coverage airs daily on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. local time, with semifinal and final coverage moving to BBC One. Check out the full BBC schedule here.

Viewers outside the United States and United Kingdom can check local listings for the WTA's international broadcast partners. Match schedules, scores and daily order of play will also be available on wtatennis.com and the WTA app.

For a breakdown of how to watch Serena's comeback by region, click here and select your location.

When was the last time she played?

Williams, a 73-time WTA singles champion, last competed at the 2022 US Open. Playing before a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, she defeated Danka Kovinic and No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit to reach the third round before falling to Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 in what was widely believed to be the final match of her career.

She also played doubles that week with Venus, losing 7-6, 6-4 to Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka in the first round.

What is the historical perspective of her comeback?

At 44 years old, Williams is now the oldest former World No. 1 on the WTA Tour to return after retiring. She surpasses Martina Navratilova, who was 43 when she came back in 2000.

Away from the court, Williams is the mother of two daughters. On it, she built one of the most decorated careers in tennis history. She is tied with Stefanie Graf for the longest consecutive reign at No. 1 (186 weeks), remains the oldest woman to hold the top ranking at age 35 and ranks fourth in Open Era match-wins with 856. Williams also leads the WTA in career prize money, having earned more than $94.8 million.

Williams’ doubles match at Queen’s Club comes 31 years after her first match when she was just 14. She lost to American Annie Miller in qualifying in Quebec City. Four years later, she was a Grand Slam champion.

Serena's notable head-to-head records against current players

Though Serena has been out of action since 2022, she has history with a good number of today’s top players. Here’s a breakdown of some of her notable head-to-heads.

Venus Williams

Serena leads 19-12

In addition to their tremendous success as doubles partners, Serena and Venus also share a storied history across the net from each other.

Serena has a 7-2 advantage in Grand Slam singles finals, including four straight wins from the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open.

Naomi Osaka

Osaka leads 3-1

Naturally, the match that comes to mind is Osaka’s 6-2, 6-4 upset in the 2018 US Open final. It was Osaka’s first Grand Slam, and in doing so she became the first Japanese player in tennis history to win a major singles title.

Serena won their next match the following year, in Toronto, but Osaka beat her in the 2021 Australian Open semifinals en route to the title.

Elina Svitolina

Serena leads 5-1

After four straight wins over Svitolina, the first of which came way back in 2012, the World No. 7 finally beat Serena at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. They met again three years later in New York, and Williams won comfortably to advance to the US Open final.

Bianca Andreescu

Andreescu leads 2-0

Speaking of that 2019 US Open final, it was against 15th-seeded Andreescu, then just 19.

In the moment of her career, the Canadian defeated Williams 6-3, 7-5 to win her first major title and deny Serena her 24th. This was Williams’ final Grand Slam singles final.

Jessica Pegula

Serena leads 1-0

Williams and Pegula met only once, but it was a memorable occasion for both players. In the Auckland final in January 2020, Williams defeated Pegula 6-3, 6-4 to capture what remains her most recent WTA singles title -- the 73rd of her career.

Aryna Sabalenka

Serena leads 1-0

The former World No. 1 and the current World No. 1 have met once before, at the 2021 Australian Open. Williams prevailed 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in a tightly contested fourth-round match to advance to the quarterfinals in Melbourne.

What will the rest of Serena's season look like?

The full schedule remains unclear, but Williams' return will extend beyond Queen's Club.

She is also entered in the doubles draw at the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Berlin Tennis Open, which begins June 15. Her partner has not yet been announced.

"Every tournament I add to my schedule right now feels special," Williams said. "Berlin is no exception. I'm excited to compete in front of the German fans and continue building momentum throughout the grass-court season."

The event will mark Williams' first appearance in Berlin.

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