Serena Williams Posts 4-Word Message Before Returning to Tennis at Age 44
Tennis superstar Serena Williams is returning to professional tennis at age 44, and she made a clear statement about it.
"Good news travels fast," Williams wrote on her X page on June 1, sharing a video showing her walking on a tennis court while her phone rang constantly. "Guess everybody heard the news," reads a statement at the end of the video. The video racked up 1.8 million views in just a few hours.
Williams last played professional tennis in 2022 at the age of 41. Williams is married to husband Alexis Ohanian, with whom she shares two kids. According to Cosmopolitan,Ohanian co-founded Reddit. They met in Rome and were married in 2017.
Wimbledon's Page Joined Fans in Praising Serena Williams
When Williams gave birth to the couple's second daughter, her husband posted a family photo on Instagram and wrote, "Welcome, Adira River Ohanian. I'm grateful to report our house is teaming with love: a happy & healthy newborn girl and happy & healthy mama. Feeling grateful. @serenawilliams you've now given me another incomparable gift - you're the GMOAT. Thanks to all the amazing medical staff who took care of my wife & our daughter I'll never forget the moment I introduced @olympiaohanian to her baby sister."
Serena Williams Will Compete in Doubles at the HSBC Championships
When is Williams returning to professional tennis and where will she play?
"At 44 years old, Williams is returning to professional tennis at next week's HSBC Championships at Queen's Club, where she will compete in doubles," WTA wrote.
"Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter," Williams said in a statement, according to WTA. "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."
The WTA described all of Williams' previous comebacks. "She missed eight months following knee surgery in 2003 and returned, against most odds, better than ever. Williams played only 36 matches in 2005-06 after a variety of ailments, but her Grand Slam title total would continue to mount. In 2010, a serious foot injury cost her nearly an entire year," WTA wrote.
"Williams was already pregnant when she won the 2017 Australian Open, her 23rd major title. When she returned after a life-threatening delivery at age 36, Serena promptly advanced to four Grand Slam finals in two years' time. She played her last match at the 2022 US Open, losing in the third round. She was just shy of her 41st birthday and would give birth to a second daughter one year later."
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 11:45 AM.