Serena Williams’ 23 Grand Slam singles titles is more than any other woman in the Open era
Serena Williams, widely considered one of the greatest tennis players in history, is set to make her return to competitive tennis after nearly four years away, participating in the women’s doubles at Queen’s Club later this month.
She has been granted a wildcard entry into the tournament, which commences on June 8, and will partner with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.
The 44-year-old American “evolved away” from tennis in 2022, concluding a remarkable 27-year career that included 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Speculation about a potential comeback surfaced last year when her name appeared on the list of players registered for drug testing.
While Williams initially denied plans for a return, the rumors intensified when her name was included on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reinstatements list in February.
On Monday, she shared a video on social media of herself walking onto a tennis court, accompanied by the caption: “Guess everybody heard the news,” along with a post stating: “Good news travels fast.”
Williams commented: “Queen’s Club feels like the perfect venue to begin this next chapter.
“Grass has provided me with some of the most significant moments of my career, and I am thrilled to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”
Williams’ return to the court in London at the WTA 500 event will occur 196 weeks after her last appearance at the 2022 US Open.
Mboko, 19, is considered a promising talent in women’s tennis, having achieved a ranking of ninth in the world in singles.
Following her second-round match at the French Open last week, Mboko described Williams as her “idol.”
Mboko was defeated in the third round at Roland Garros on Saturday by former Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
Wimbledon, where Williams has secured seven singles and seven doubles titles, is scheduled to commence three weeks after Queen’s.
While she would require a wildcard to participate, the possibility of Williams competing on the SW19 grass once again presents an enticing prospect for organizers.
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Williams’ 23 Grand Slam singles titles represent the most by any woman in the Open era and the second-highest total in women’s tennis history, trailing Margaret Court’s 24.
She held the world number one ranking for 319 weeks and accumulated 73 singles titles on the WTA Tour.
Additionally, she claimed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her sister Venus Williams, maintaining an undefeated record in major finals as a pair. Williams also secured three Olympic doubles gold medals, complementing her individual gold from London 2012.
She achieved a career ‘Golden Slam’ in both singles and doubles – winning all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold – and triumphed in every singles major at least three times.
After returning from maternity leave with her first daughter in 2018, Williams reached four major finals and regained a position within the world’s top 10.
Regarding the potential of her competing in singles at Wimbledon, three-time champion John McEnroe told TNT Sports: “That would appear to be the logical next step.
“If Serena Williams is the greatest of all time and is coming back, she’s not coming back as she’s happy to play – she wants to win another major – that’s the only reason I can think that she would want to play tennis again.”
Serena Williams won seven singles titles at Wimbledon, the most recent of them in 2016
As the highest-earning female athlete of all time, Williams consistently attracted large crowds throughout her career and has become a figure who has transcended the sport.
Renowned for possessing arguably the best serve in women’s tennis, Williams was also known for her powerful groundstrokes, strong return of serve, and exceptional movement.
Following her retirement, Williams largely distanced herself from the sport and gave birth to her second daughter in 2023.
Last year, she shared on the Today Show in the US that she had lost 31lb (14kg) over the preceding eight months.
She described her excess weight as “an opponent.” Despite “training five hours a day” and engaging in “running, walking, biking, stair climbing,” she stated that she had no alternative but to “try something different.”
Williams declined to disclose which weight loss drug she was using, although she had recently become a spokesperson for Ro, a company that markets GLP-1 brands such as Wegovy and Zepbound (known as Mounjaro in the UK) through its weight-loss program. Her husband, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, is also an investor in the company.
Williams stated that she was experiencing the benefits of her efforts in the gym, training for a half-marathon, and “running farther than I ever had.”
Serena Williams was one of the many sport stars who attended this year’s Met Gala in New York last month
The motivation behind Serena Williams’ return remains unclear.
Is she playing with the intention of sharing a doubles court one last time with her sister Venus, who will turn 46 on June 17?
Or is the competitive fire still burning brightly, and does she believe – as some former players with whom I have shared a commentary box have suggested – that she can still defeat many of the rising stars?
Wimbledon commences at the end of the month, and assuming Serena participates, it is not yet clear whether she will compete in singles.
However, with the US Open scheduled for two months later, Williams may find a singles return too tempting to resist by late August.
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