When Is Serena Williams Returning To Tennis? Athlete Schedules First New Match

New mother Serena Williams is heading back out on the tennis court for her first match since giving birth to her daughter in September. Williams last competed when she played in and won the Australian Open in January, which was while she was pregnant.

Now, the 36-year-old tennis star will be making her grand return with an exhibition match on Saturday, Dec. 30, at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi, where she’ll face off against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko.

“I am delighted to be returning to the court in Abu Dhabi for the first time since the birth of my daughter in September,” Williams said in a statement.

This match will be the perfect warm-up for her, as she’s likely to compete once again in the Australian Open in January, where she’d be going for her 24th Grand Slam. All eyes will be on the professional athlete when she steps on the court to play Ostapenko, to see how she’s hitting after almost a year away.

Williams welcomed her first child, a girl named Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., on Sept. 1 with her now-husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The couple had their wedding in New Orleans in November, in front of family and friends, including Beyonce and Kim Kardashian. Williams’ sister Venus served as a bridesmaid during the ceremony. Serena truly made the event her own by rocking a pair of sneakers with a dress for the wedding reception.

The tennis star is now set to make the Mubadala World Tennis Championship her own, as she and Ostapenko will be the first women to ever play at the event.

“The Mubadala World Tennis Championship has long marked the beginning of the men’s global tennis season and I am excited and honored to be making my comeback as part of the first women to participate in the event,” Williams said. “I look forward to seeing the fans in Abu Dhabi at the 10th Edition of the Championship very soon.”

Brian Lott, the Chief Communications Officer of Mubadala, the main sponsor of the tournament, feels the same way as Serena.

“For the tennis fans in the UAE, having Serena here as part of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship weekend is a thrilling opportunity to see even more world-class tennis,” he said in a statement. “She’s not only an incredible champion, she’s a role model for millions of athletes all over the world and she joins Jelena in offering the UAE a match worthy of grand slam heritage right in the center of Abu Dhabi.”