Serena Williams set to return to tennis after four years; Women's dressing room is buzzing again

Paris: Serena Williams is returning to tennis after nearly four years. The sport has changed in her absence, but the gravitational pull she exerts has not and that leaves one question hanging over everything. Why?The 44-year-old, winner of 23 Grand Slams, has entered the doubles draw at the WTA 500 event in London, starting June 8.She’ll partner the 19-year-old Victoria Mboko.Beyond that, little is known. There has been no confirmation of what comes next, whether Wimbledon, where she won seven singles titles, or whether doubles is merely a stepping stone toward a return to singles competition later in the season.Williams has little left to prove. She remains the only player to complete a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles, and her legacy was secure long before she stepped away from the sport. That is why her return invites so much intrigue. It is difficult to imagine an athlete of her stature coming back simply to play doubles. Though the prospect of one final Olympic appearance, this time in her backyard in Los Angeles, is undeniably compelling, it is unlikely to be the force driving her return.If there is a larger objective, it is likely to be singles. Yet the landscape she left behind has changed dramatically. The depth of the women's game is greater than ever, and nearly eight years have passed since her last major title at the 2017 Australian Open, won while she was in the very early stages of her first pregnancy.The locker room is excited for Williams’ return.Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva said, “I didn't believe until the very last post, then I was, like, wow, this is real then!”Naomi Osaka, who beat Williams in the 2018 US Open final, when the American returned from her maternity break, said, “It's good for me, I'll be very entertained. I think it will bring people to watch tennis, which she always does, bring an audience with her. I'm going to be tuned into the first match, for sure.”World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who faced Williams once in Australia five years ago, said, “It's inspiring to see, I'm actually excited to see her play and probably face her.”Elina Svitolina, 31, who has made a remarkable comeback after pregnancy, said, “Serena is a very unique situation, she is like Roger Federer. Just a different level of GOAT. It's a great story and very inspiring for all moms around the world.”Williams didn’t officially retire from tennis, preferring to call it ‘evolving away’.Part of the intrigue surrounding Williams’ return is that it follows a period of profound physical change. Last year she disclosed that she was using the GLP-1 drug Zepbound after finding it difficult to lose weight following the birth of her second daughter.Williams built one of the most dominant careers in tennis history on explosive power, a devastating serve and the ability to move with remarkable speed for an athlete of her build. Significant weight loss can sometimes come with a reduction in muscle mass, leaving open the question of how her new physique will affect the attributes that formed the foundation of her game.