AssetID: 55734629
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Serena Williams planning tennis comeback at 44
Caption: Serena Williams planning tennis comeback at 44. The 23-time grand slam singles champion will seek a doubles wildcard at the upcoming Queen's WTA 500 event alongside Victoria Mboko, the 19-year-old Canadian who is ranked No 19 in singles. The news come courtesy of The Served podcast, hosted by the former world No 1 Andy Roddick and the veteran journalist L Jon Wertheim. Williams has been back in the drug testing pool for six months, so there is no impediment to her comeback at the age of 44. The news follows months of speculation about her possible return. She has been training in Florida for months, working with Alycia Parks, the world No 79, who posted a video of them hitting together in March. Williams has not competed since the 2022 US Open. The tennis champion re-entered the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) registered testing pool for the first time since then in December last year. To return to competition, players must make themselves available for out-of-competition testing for six months before they are allowed to enter an event. At the time, Williams disputed that her inclusion in the pool signalled any plans to return. ”Omg yall I'm NOT coming back," she wrote on X. "This wildfire is crazy." Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Serena Williams,planning,tennis,comeback,tennis pro,44 years old,Queen’s WTS 500,even,Victoria Mboko,Canadian,19 year old,singles,double,The Served podcast,training,Floria,Alycia Parks,drug testing pool,six months,champion,International Tennis Integrity Agency
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