Serena Williams will return to tennis at the Queen’s Club Championships next week.
There, the 23-time Grand Slam champion is expected to play doubles with Canada’s Victoria Mboko.
Many believe she will then play singles at Wimbledon, an event she’s won seven times.
How excited are you to watch Serena Williams play on the WTA Tour once again? 🐐
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has now delivered her verdict on Williams’ comeback.
Aryna Sabalenka is ‘excited’ to play Serena Williams as she confirms return
During her latest press conference at the French Open, Sabalenka was asked about Williams’ imminent return.
“That’s fun!” said Sabalenka.
“She has a really cool personality, she is fun.
“She is a legend.
Serena Williams’ career achievements
- 23 Grand Slam singles titles
- 14 Grand Slam doubles titles
- 319 weeks at number one
- All-time prize money leader (Women’s)
- 73 WTA Tour singles titles
- Five-time WTA Finals winner
- Olympic gold medalist
- Fed cup winner
- Hopman cup winner
“It’s inspiring to see.
“I am actually excited to see her play and probably face her.
“It’s very cool; it’s very good news for tennis.”
Sabalenka is excited by the prospect of playing Williams, and she might be out for revenge…
What happened when Aryna Sabalenka played Serena Williams?
Sabalenka and Williams met once before, in the fourth round of the 2021 Australian Open.
The seventh seed, Sabalenka, and the 10th seed Williams battled it out for a place in the quarter-finals, and their first and (for now) only career meeting did not disappoint.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Serena Williams – Match stats
| Stats | Aryna Sabalenka | Serena Williams |
| Aces | 4 | 9 |
| Double faults | 4 | 8 |
| 1st Serve % | 62% | 58% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 65% | 72% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 60% | 53% |
| Break points | 4/11 | 4/9 |
It was the American who struck first, winning a tight first set 6-4, taking the lead on Rod Laver Arena.
Refusing to go down without a fight, Sabalenka hit back, winning the second 6-2, to force a decider.
There, Williams’ experience shone through, securing a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win, booking her place in the quarter-finals.
During her post-match press conference, Sabalenka shared her thoughts on Williams.
“Well, she’s just another player for me, and I was going there and, like, for another fight and for another win, but it didn’t happen,” she said.
“But, yeah, she’s a great player, and she’s a big fighter and really powerful game she has. Yeah, I mean, it was really a great battle between us, and I hope that next time I can finish it differently. So, yeah.
“I respect her.
“The level she’s playing right now, it’s really good. Yeah, I mean, this is something unbelievable. She’s doing really well.
“I think not a lot of players can do that. And, yeah, she’s good.”
Sabalenka came up short five years ago in Melbourne, but may now have an opportunity to tie their head-to-head at 1-1.
The Belarusian isn’t expected to travel to London for Queen’s, but will be around for Wimbledon shortly after.
Assuming Williams is planning to enter the women’s singles draw, they could face off in the first round.
Fans won’t want to get ahead of themselves dreaming about a Williams/Sabalenka clash, but what a match that would be!
The greatest player of all time vs the best in the world…
There are, of course, question marks over Williams’ level.
Is she going to be able to compete at the level we are used to, or will the sport have passed her by?
We won’t have to wait long to find out, with the 2026 Queen’s Club Championships beginning on Monday, June 8.
