Tennis

Serena Williams set to make 1st competitive appearance since tennis shutdown

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion returns to action for the first time since playing for the U.S. in the Fed Cup in February.

23-time Grand Slam singles champ planning to play in next month's Top Seed Open

Serena Williams, seen above competing for the United States in a Fed Cup match in February, will return to action next month in the Top Seed Open for the first time since tennis' shutdown due to coronavirus. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Serena Williams is planning to make her return to competition at a new hard-court tournament in Kentucky next month.

It'll be the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion's first action since playing for the U.S. in the Fed Cup in February, before all sanctioned tennis was shut down the next month because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The women's and men's professional tennis tours are scheduled to resume in August.

The Kentucky event, called the Top Seed Open, announced Thursday that Williams and 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens will be in the field when play begins there Aug. 10.

Williams already has said she will enter the next scheduled Grand Slam tournament, the U.S. Open, which is supposed to begin in New York on Aug. 31.

WATCH | Bouchard and partner seal victory for Chicago Smash:

Bouchard wins again, Dabrowski falls in debut with Breakers

4 years ago
Duration 2:47
Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., and her American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands sealed a 23-16 victory for the Chicago Smash, Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski dropped both her matches in her debut with the Orange County Breakers.

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