Serena Williams Confirms Tennis Return 4 Years After Retiring

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Serena Williams is so back. 

Four years after retiring from professional tennis, the 23-time Grand Slam champion announced on June 1st that she will make a comeback at the Queen’s Club Championship in London later this month.

Serena Williams, 44, posted a photo of herself on the tennis court while her phone was flooded with notifications. She shares 8-year-old Olympia and 2-year-old Adira with her husband, Alexis Ohanian.

The video opens with text saying, “Guess everybody heard the news,” and Serena playfully responds, “I’ve got to change my number.”

Serena shared the video with a simple message: “Good news travels fast.”

Serena is back to playing after acknowledging it was difficult to juggle her career with raising a family. While many talked about her retiring, she clarified she was simply taking a break, starting in August 2022.

Serena once explained to Vogue that she dislikes the word “retirement.” She feels it’s outdated and prefers to think of this stage of her life as a transition. However, she’s careful about using that term because it has a specific and important meaning for many people. Ultimately, she believes “evolution” best captures what she’s experiencing.

Indeed, the athlete had previously shared she felt pulled back to the sport amid retirement, too. 

In a 2023 interview with TopMob News, she admitted she was conflicted about retiring. She felt she could still compete at a very high level, and she’d always wanted to leave the sport while still performing well. However, she also acknowledged it was difficult to step away knowing she was still capable of achieving great things.

She’s returning to work, and is successfully juggling her career with her personal life, having found a good balance between the two.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always believed in fully embracing what you love, and for me, that’s been tennis – I’ve played my whole life! It’s truly a part of who I am. Right now, I’m taking things one step at a time, rediscovering myself and what brings me joy. I’ve enjoyed other ventures, of course, but I’m really focusing on my family and finding that sweet spot of fun and fulfillment. It’s so vital to strike that balance – to nurture all aspects of your life and still feel centered.

Serena finds balance by prioritizing her family – her husband, Alexis, and their daughters. Here’s a look back at their heartwarming love story…

In November 2024, while celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary, Serena expressed her gratitude to her husband for consistently making life fun and memorable, even turning ordinary days into something extraordinary, like a spontaneous costume party.

The couple showed they’re just as happy with a cozy night in as they are with their luxurious vacations, sharing a sweet moment from a September 2024 date night.

Serena and Alexis welcomed their second baby girl, Adira, in August 2023. 

In September 2022, before her family grew, Serena posted a heartwarming photo on Instagram of a family outing to a farm, captioning it “Family day on the farm.”

Let me tell you about a seriously sweet gesture! Back in July 2018, a certain tennis superstar was craving Italian food, and her husband? He just whisked her away to Venice, Italy, for dinner! Talk about going the extra mile – and setting the bar incredibly high for romantic dates!

The adorable couple enjoyed a day out with their little one in summer 2018. 

In May 2018, Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams returned to the Paris zoo where they first met, this time bringing their eight-month-old daughter, Olympia.

The famous couple looked amazing while attending the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in England in May 2018.

Although they were in England to celebrate the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the couple’s stunning outfits made it seem like they were the ones getting married!

Every year, this couple celebrates a special day just for themselves, which they call Selexis Day. In April 2018, Williams described how it was her turn to plan the festivities. She organized a scavenger hunt for her husband, leading him to a party with his childhood friends, a live band, and karaoke. As a sweet touch, they even recreated and shared their wedding cake – something they never got to do at their original wedding. Sounds like a blast, doesn’t it?

Everyone turned heads when the joyful couple attended the April 2018 premiere of Serena Williams’ HBO documentary series, Being Serena.

Beyond supporting his wife at her tennis matches, Ohanian enjoys attending many other sporting events with Williams. They’re big fans of Team USA, and their patriotism is really endearing.

I’m a huge Venus Williams fan, and it’s amazing to see what she does off the court! When she’s not dominating at tennis, she’s tackling Spartan races with the people she loves most – her family and husband are always right there with her. It’s so inspiring to see her dedication to fitness and spending time with loved ones.

These two definitely clean up well and are always up for a fundraising gala.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian got married in New Orleans in November 2017, and it was a beautiful event. They seemed incredibly happy all night, and everyone is still talking about Serena’s stunning wedding dress!

In May 2017, the couple traveled to France, where they deepened their relationship while enjoying the beautiful sunsets.

Serena Williams turned heads at the 2017 Met Gala, making her first public appearance since announcing her pregnancy and debuting her baby bump with her fiancé, Alexis Ohanian.

Get yourself a man who will carry you for no reason on a beach!

Back in February 2017, the Reddit co-founder shared this adorable photo with the caption “My #WCW, every day,” and fans still love seeing them together!

They wore matching bear costumes to a party early in their relationship, and it was adorable – a playful nod to the bear theme!

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2026-06-01 18:50