After a nearly four-year absence, Serena Williams announced her return to professional tennis on Monday, June 1.
Williams, 44, who last played in the U.S. Open in Sept. 2022, has received a wild card to play in a doubles match at the HSBC Championships in London, which begin June 8.
Williams is a 14-time grand slam champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist in doubles while playing alongside her sister, Venus.
Will Serena Williams play in the 2026 Cincinnati Open?
The WTA calendar points to Williams potentially playing at Wimbledon. Locally, all eyes are on August, when the Cincinnati Open returns to the Lindner Family Tennis Center (Aug. 11-23).
It’s still too early to tell if Williams will play in Mason. Last year, the player fields for the Cincinnati Open were announced July 8. In 2024, the fields were announced July 17.
In her penultimate tournament before stepping away in 2022, Williams lost in the Round of 64 in the Cincinnati Open, then called the Western & Southern Open, in straight sets to Emma Raducanu.
Williams, a 23-time major champion, won the Cincinnati Open in back-to-back years (2014-15). She also reached the finals in 2013, falling in three sets to Victoria Azarenka.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will Serena Williams play in 2026 Cincinnati Open? What we know