Serena Williams returns - why now, and what next?

Serena Williams is doing the unthinkable and returning to professional tennis at the age of 44 after almost four years away from the sport.

She announced on Monday that she would be entering the grass court doubles tournament at Queen's - which finishes eight days before Wimbledon - playing with 19-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko and igniting rumours as to what could be next for 23-time Grand Slam champion.

So, why is she returning now? Could she play singles as well as doubles? Has anyone ever done this before? And - the million dollar question - will she play Wimbledon?

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Why is Williams coming back now?

Williams ended - or paused - her professional career after being knocked out of the US Open third round by Ajla Tomljanović in 2022 - a match that brought perhaps the greatest career in women's tennis history to a halt.

In the years since, the American has welcomed the birth of her second child, developed her own venture capital company, and left her racket untouched since September 2023 - that is, until she sparked comeback rumours by posting a video of her serving on TikTok in February.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion, though, never officially retired. She revealed her desire to "evolve away" from the sport in her initial announcement, and, after prioritising her personal life, perhaps feels now is the time to return before age prevents her from doing so.

A plausible motivating factor appears to be silverware.

Williams' stellar record stands at 23 Grand Slam singles titles, just one behind Novak Djokovic and Margaret Court on 24, and she has previously spoken of her desire to eclipse that number before stepping away.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want [Court's] record," Williams told Vogue in 2022.

"The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus Grand Slams. I had my chances after coming back from giving birth.

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda. I didn't show up the way I should have or could have. But I showed up 23 times, and that's fine. Actually it's extraordinary."

A 24th title would take Williams' career from the realms of the extraordinary to the almost-entirely uncharted - and her return to tennis gives her a chance of doing just that.

Who are her potential doubles partners?

Williams will team up with Mboko at Queen's, forming a remarkable partnership featuring an age gap of 26 years. Williams won her first Grand Slam title in 1999, seven years before Mboko was born.

Mboko is currently No 9 in the world at just 19 years old, has already won two singles titles on the WTA Tour and is one of the most exciting rising stars in women's tennis.

"I'm very happy. Me and Serena have stayed in touch, which is really, really nice, because I really look up to her," she said at the French Open.

"I think, for me, I want to let the moment be for her. I feel like if she's ready to come back on her own terms, then I feel like it's up to her to announce that."

The potential doubles partner who could make even more headlines, though, would be Serena's sister Venus Williams, who is still active on the WTA Tour at 46.

The two are the most decorated doubles pair in tennis history, boasting 14 Grand Slam titles including six at Wimbledon, and are one of the few doubles pairs to hold all four Grand Slam doubles titles simultaneously in 2009/10 - making a potential reunion a mouth-watering prospect for tennis fans across the globe.

Could a singles return be on the cards?

Given her hunger, it is reasonable to speculate that Williams might plan to at least try a singles return and see where her game is at.

The extra physicality required in singles compared to doubles would likely be the biggest issue for Williams given her age and inactivity compared to those at the top end of the WTA Tour.

However, tennis players generally maintain their ball-striking and if Williams can re-find the aggression which made her so dangerous there's no reason why she can't be competitive and perhaps even get a few wins at Grand Slams.

"Serena Williams is the GOAT and she expects to go out and win every match she plays," John McEnroe said on TNT Sports of her return.

"She was upset even after she had the [first] kid that she wasn't winning the majors. If she's coming back, she's not coming back because she's happy to play and it's fun.

"She wants to go win another major, that's the only reason that I can think of that Serena Williams would want to play tennis again, not to go out just play. She could do that anytime she wanted."

Will she play Wimbledon?

The question on everyone's lips after Williams' announcement is whether she will follow her appearance at Queen's with an appearance at Wimbledon - the grass-court major that many see as the crown jewel in the tennis calendar.

She is no stranger to the competition. Alongside her six doubles titles at the tournament, she has reached 11 singles finals, winning seven. It is hard to look past the possibility of her appearance at Queen's functioning as merely a precursor to a return to Centre Court.

"If she's going to play at Queen's, then you would have thought that the motivation is to get ready for Wimbledon," former British No 1 Tim Henman said on Sky Sports.

"I don't know whether she's going to play singles. The wild card meeting for Wimbledon is June 15."

A return to Wimbledon - whether singles or doubles - would likely get Serena Williams in peak condition for her home major, the US Open, live on Sky.

It is hard to imagine the American would miss the chance to go for a record-equalling major title on home soil - and a trip to Wimbledon might put her in a position to do just that.

Has anyone returned this late in their career?

Several female tennis players have returned after giving birth but very few come back in their 40s.

One exception is another tennis legend - Martina Navratilova - who came back after nearly four years out of the sport in 2000 at 43 years old to largely compete in doubles.

Navratilova won three mixed doubles Grand Slam titles in her 40s - the last coming just one month before her 50th birthday at the 2006 US Open.

Williams has proved she has the pedigree to come back from a lengthy spell away before. She reached five Grand Slam finals after giving birth, and the fact that she lost all of those finals seems to have only fuelled her further to return to the sport.

Williams has entered her career's last dance - it remains to be seen whether that will lead to a last title.

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