Williams, 44, to return to action in Queen's doubles

Serena Williams, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, will make her return to competitive action after an absence of almost four years in the women's doubles at Queen's Club later this month.

She has been granted a wildcard for the tournament which begins on 8 June and, will play alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.

The 44-year-old American "evolved away" from tennis in 2022 after winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles in her 27-year career.

Rumours of a return began last year when her name appeared on the list of players registered for the drug-testing pool.

Williams denied she was returning, but the whispers got louder when her name was included on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reinstatements list in February.

On Monday, she shared a video on social media of her walking on to a tennis court containing the caption: "Guess everybody heard the news", alongside a post which said: "Good news travels fast."

Williams said: "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."