London, June 1 (EFE).- Serena Williams will return to professional tennis nearly three years after her last match, with the 23-time Grand Slam champion confirming she will compete in the doubles event at Queen’s Club alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. Williams, 44, has not played competitively since September 2022, when she lost to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanović in the third round of the US Open. The former world No. 1 and Mboko, 19, received a wild card entry into the WTA 500 tournament, which will be held in London from June 8 to 14. “Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter. 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,” Williams said in a statement released by the tournament organizers. Her participation has fueled speculation in British media about a possible appearance at Wimbledon, where Williams won seven singles titles and seven doubles crowns alongside her sister, Venus Williams. The comeback follows Williams’ re-entry into the testing program of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), a requirement for players returning to competition. Having completed the six-month waiting period mandated under anti-doping regulations, she is now eligible to compete on the WTA Tour. “Serena Williams is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, and we’re delighted that she will be making her return to tennis at the LTA’s HSBC Championships,” WTA tournament director Laura Robson said in a statement. “Women’s tennis made a historic return to The Queen’s Club last year, and now we have an icon of the game stepping back on to court at this prestigious venue – it’s very exciting for the tournament and the fans.” EFE jpa-sk