Serena Williams is returning to competitive tennis after nearly four-year absence

BREAKING NEWSJun. 1, 2026, 2:51 PM UTCTennisTennisSerena Williams is returning to competitive tennis after nearly four-year absence Williams, 44, will compete this month at the HSBC Championships in London. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Serena Williams at the U.S. Open in 2022.Al Bello / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Rohan NadkarniSerena Williams will make her return to professional tennis at the HSBC Championships in London later this month, the tournament announced Monday.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Williams, 44, last competed professionally in 2022, losing in the third round at the U.S. Open. In August of that year, Williams announced she would be “evolving away from tennis,” in what was widely understood to be her retirement.Williams won 73 singles titles, including 23 majors, during her career. She is second only to Margaret Court in Grand Slam titles, and she is the only player to win all four major championships in both singles and doubles play. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleRohan NadkarniRohan Nadkarni is a sports reporter for NBC News.