June 1 was a momentous occasion for the entire tennis community as Serena Williams announced her official comeback on the Tour. The American icon will return to the grass, playing doubles. However, it seems the GOAT is just getting started, as a brand-new development in Berlin makes one wonder whether this return is only an appetizer for something even more momentous.

“The tennis icon returns!” the organizers of the Berlin Open posted on X on June 5. “We can’t wait to welcome the legend herself @serenawilliams on our grass court!”

Williams is all set to partner Victoria Mboko at the Queen’s Club Championships, but whether the young Canadian will partner Williams at Berlin as well is not known. Mboko is in the singles draw at both Queens and Berlin, and it remains to be seen if she will prioritize her singles ahead of Wimbledon or be a part of this iconic comeback journey.

Now that Williams has committed to being in action in the first two weeks of the grass-court season, one can only expect that she will be at Wimbledon. The main point of speculation is whether the 23-time Major champion would make her singles comeback at one of the biggest stages in world tennis. Should she decide to play, it can only be guessed that Wimbledon will happily grant a wildcard, as they have traditionally done for past champions and iconic players, and Williams fits that profile all too well.

Making her comeback on grass is a matter of pride and joy for Williams, as she has already expressed her desire to compete at the biggest events in the sport as much as possible.

Serena Williams Has Been One of the Best Grass-Court Players of Her Time

Williams had an 87 percent win rate on grass courts, which was her winning seven Wimbledon titles. Making her comeback, the American icon has spoken about grass as the surface on which she achieved some of her most significant milestones. Apart from seven triumphs at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, she also bagged Olympic glory back in 2012 when it was on grass.

The Americans’ serve was one of her most potent weapons, which made her a force to be reckoned with on grass. Williams also had the athleticism and net skills that came from her doubles exploits, including 14 Major titles. She won the first three Wimbledon titles back in 2002, 2003, and 2009, beating her sister, Venus Williams, in all three finals. At the turn of the decade, she clinched her fourth Wimbledon in 2010, beating Vera Zvonareva in the final.

Her next three successful campaigns in London came in 2012, 2015, and 2016, where she beat the likes of Agnieszka Radwańska, Garbine Muguruza, and Angelique Kerber, showing that the American was adept at making her place among the next generation of players as well. Such was her prowess on grass that when she came back after a long layoff from childbirth in 2018, she reached the final, losing to Kerber. However, Williams’ power on grass was the driving force behind the WTA’s decision to tweak its seeding rules for players returning after childbirth, after Williams was granted a seeding at Wimbledon that year despite being ranked 183rd. She reached the final once more next year, this time falling short to Simona Halep.

Williams has been spotted at Queens, and pictures of her hitting the practice courts have already spread like wildfire; fans and pundits alike are waiting with bated breath for the GOAT to be back in action.