Editor’s note: This explainer has been updated June 9, 2026, to reflect news of Serena Williams’ first match in her return to professional tennis.Serena Williams, considered by many the greatest women’s tennis player of all time, will return to tennis June 9, with a women’s doubles match at Queen’s, the prestigious grass-court tournament played ahead of Wimbledon, and the Berlin Open.Williams, 44, will compete with Victoria Mboko, the rising 19-year-old Canadian, against No. 3 seeds Erin Routliffe of New Zealand and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the U.S.But which other tournaments could Williams play in? Will she eventually partner with her sister Venus, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion with whom she won 14 major doubles titles and three Olympic golds? And what has she had to do to make a tennis return possible?Serena Williams’ first professional match of her comeback: The detailsEvent: Queen’s, a WTA 500 event two rungs below the Grand SlamsVenue: Queen’s Club, LondonDraw: Women’s doublesPartner: Victoria Mboko, 19, CanadaOpponent: Erin Routliffe, New Zealand / Nicole Melichar-Martinez, U.S.Time: Not before 5:30 p.m. BST / 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PTHow to watch: Tennis Channel (U.S.), Sky Sports Tennis (U.K.)Why is Serena Williams making her tennis comeback now?“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 announcing her appearance at Queen’s.She will also play doubles at the Berlin Open, another grass event, the following week. Her partner is yet to be announced.Grass is the shortest season in tennis, running only from the start of June to the middle of July, but it is also the part of the calendar with which Williams became synonymous. She won Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year, seven times in singles, and was a master of the slick, low-bouncing lawns of the All England Tennis Club.Williams’ first tournament back will be the women’s doubles at Queen’s in southwest London, which begins June 8. Williams is set to play with Victoria Mboko, the 19-year-old Canadian.The return to tennis ends a gradual shift in Williams from a definitive “no,” to non-committal, to returning to the sport.When Williams’ name was seen in the tennis anti-doping pool last December, Williams posted on X: “Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy.”But during an interview on “Today” in January, Williams was offered the chance to put the possibility of her return to bed. Instead, she laughed and responded: “If I want to put it to bed … Listen, I want to go to bed — it’s early.”On both occasions, representatives for Williams did not respond to a request for comment. Then, Feb. 19, Williams posted a cryptic TikTok in which she practiced serves alone on a tennis court for, she said, the first time since 2023.