Serena Williams, after nearly four years since her last match, is officially making her comeback to professional tennis.
The 44-year-old Williams announced Monday that she has accepted a wild card invitation to play doubles in next week's HSBC Championships, a 500-level event held at Queen's Club in London.
"Queen's Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter," Williams said in an announcement from the tournament. "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."
In addition to 23 major titles, the most by any woman in the Open era, Williams has won 73 career singles titles, four Olympic gold medals and has spent 319 weeks at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. She has won 14 major doubles titles alongside sister Venus and is the only player to record a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.
The WTA confirmed Williams' return with a post, writing Williams was "officially returning to the stage."
"Serena is one of the greatest athletes of all-time, with a legacy that extends far beyond the court," WTA chair Valerie Camillo said in a statement. "Her return is an expression of her passion for competition, and I cannot wait to see her face a new generation of top players.
"Serena is not just a great champion. She's a successful entrepreneur, a powerful advocate for the issues that matter -- and one of the most iconic women in the world. We are thrilled to welcome her back to the WTA Tour at this hugely exciting moment for women's tennis."
The G.O.A.T is BACK 🐐@serenawilliams is officially returning to the stage 💚 pic.twitter.com/DA3CHDVrwu
Williams has earned over $94 million in prize money throughout her career and is believed to be the highest-paid female athlete of all time.
She first teased her return on Monday morning with a social media video from longtime sponsor Nike. In the 17-second clip, Williams can be seen on the tennis court walking over to her buzzing phone while text reading "Guess everybody heard the news" is then shown.
Minutes later, the HSBC Championships announced Williams' return on social media with a post saying, "The Queen returns."
Though a return on grass will raise speculation about Wimbledon, which starts June 28, Williams has yet to announce what other tournaments she will be playing. Jill Smoller, Williams' agent, has yet to respond to ESPN's request for comment.