Serena Williams has confirmed her comeback to the court!

The legendary tennis player is done sitting on the stands and is ready to swing her racket into action. This confirmation comes after months of rumors and questions surrounding her return, during which she often leaves fans guessing whether her last game was truly the final straw.

Serena Williams hung up her racket nearly four years ago at the US Open after building her outstanding career for almost three decades. She shared that at the time she was stepping away from the sport to expand her family, and has since welcomed a second child.

Serena Williams Is Back Like She Never Left

Williams has put to rest the burning questions and speculation about her return to tennis with a simple social media update. The 23-time Grand Slam champ will be making her return to professional tennis in next week’s HSBC Championship at Queen’s Club.

She uploaded a 17-second video showing her dressed in a white tennis dress walking up onto a court with a racket in hand. She walked up to a bench where her phone rang and simply said, “I gotta change my number.”

The words “Guess everybody heard the news” appear as the video ends. “Good news travels fast,” Williams captured the X post, which has gathered over 10 thousand reactions from fans.

The Big News Really Traveled Fast

Roundglass Sports quoted the original post, writing, “The Queen returns! [crown emoji] Welcome back, Serena. [applause emoji].”

Another fan in celebratory spirit wrote, “The retirement lasted longer than some careers, but not longer than Serena’s love for winning.” At the same time, a different user added, “This trumps a lengthy press release. What a great video.”

“Serena walking on that court like she never left  Mother is Mothering. Queen’s Club ain’t ready for this energy! Welcome back, Legend  #SerenaWilliams,” a fan commented, while others noted they could not wait to watch the games as her return will make tennis interesting once again.

Rumors Previously Flew About The Champs’ Return 

Speculations became concrete after reports emerged that Williams had requested entry to play alongside a rising international star in an upcoming grass-court event in London.

The Blast reported that the tennis legend had planned to enter the doubles draw at the upcoming Queen’s Club Championships, scheduled to begin on June 8.

The news came to light during a broadcast of the “Served” podcast hosted by Williams’ close friend and former player, Andy Roddick. During the podcast, it was mentioned that she would be partnering with Victoria Mboko of Canada for her competitive return to the sport.

This came months after the tennis icon appeared on the “Today” show with Savannah Guthrie, where she said she was enjoying her retirement. During the show, which aired in January, the pro athlete shut down speculations about considering a professional comeback.

Serena Williams Raised Eyebrows Last Year

Last December, fans were fueled with high hopes for Williams’ return after she informed the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) about her desire to reenter the sport’s International Registered Testing Pool. A spokesperson for the ITIA confirmed her inclusion on the list at the time, but not her official return to play.

“She has notified us that she wants to be reinstated into the testing pool. I do not know if this means she is coming back or just giving herself the option. All I can say is she’s back in the pool,” Adrian Bassett revealed at the time.

Rejoining the registered testing pool meant that the tennis icon would be subjected to the tennis whereabouts rules, including random drug testing.

The registered athletes must provide their whereabouts to the ITIA at a given time every day of the year, something someone uninterested in a comeback wouldn’t bother with. 

The Blast reported that shortly after the mom of two shut down the rumors of her return yet again on X, writing, “Omg y’all I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.” Her words, however, did not deter fans from expressing their thoughts and questioning why she rejoined the testing pool.

The Pro-Athlete Said She Still Has ‘A Lot More To Give’

Shortly after Williams stepped away from the court in 2022, she appeared at Disrupt with her Serena Ventures partner, Alison Rapaport, where they discussed her plans for the next chapter of her life.

She told TechCrunch deputy editor Jordan Crook that she was evolving away from tennis rather than retiring, adding that the window for her return was still open.

During a separate appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, she was also asked about the possibility of “unretiring.” Fallon asked, “There’s no chance of you pulling a Tom Brady and saying, ‘Maybe I’m evolving to coming back.'”

In response to his question, Williams explained that she believed retirement was something people earned after working so hard. She added that she had no plans to relax as she felt that phase was “more like an evolution of Serena.”

As reported by The Blast, the iconic tennis player said: “I just feel like I’m at an age where I definitely have a lot more to give; there’s a lot more I want to do.” Williams also noted that the time off was necessary for quality time and bonding with her family, including her daughter, Alexis.

Serena Williams Is Proud Of The Change Her Career Brought

The tennis champ previously expressed the significant impact she believes her career has had on the world of tennis and sports at large. She said she thinks her legacy is “confidence and self-belief,” as well as “teaching other Black kids, in particular Black girls, they can do it too.”

Williams explained that excelling as a Black woman in the sport had significantly changed the way people played, served, and enjoyed the game. “People never had to play so hard to beat two Black girls from Compton,” referring to herself and her sister, Venus, who is also an iconic tennis player. 

As reported by The Blast, the 44-year-old champ noted that she also touched on beauty standards and what it means to be masculine, even as most of the world branded her as “masculine”. She gave confidence and motivation to many women of color, urging them to love themselves regardless of their shape, size, or build.