Serena Williams Will Play in 1st Tennis Match Since Giving Birth to Daughter

Serena Williams will return to the court Dec. 30 for the first time since giving birth to her daughter when she squares off against Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. 

"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, according to Sport360.com's Reem Abulleil.  

"The Mubadala World Tennis Championship has long marked the beginning of the men's global tennis season and I am excited and honoured to be making my comeback as part of the first women to participate in the event. I look forward to seeing the fans in Abu Dhabi at the 10th edition of the Championship very soon."

Williams appeared in just two tournaments during the 2017 season. 

After falling in the second round at the WTA Tour ASB Classic, Serena set an Open Era record by capturing her 23rd Grand Slam title with a win over her sister, Venus, in the Australian Open final. 

The 36-year-old has yet to announce whether she'll play in the 2018 Australian Open, but signs are pointing toward her participation. 

Not only is Williams on the entry list for the year's first major, but tournament director Craig Tiley also told the Herald Sun's Lauren Wood it's "very likely" she will be in attendance when the festivities begin Jan. 15. 

"She's got her visa, she's entered, she's practicing and she's probably just got to find a bit more space for a bigger entourage," he said. "There's no question that she’ll be ready in our view and she wants to break a record that is Margaret Court's. It would be a pretty significant accomplishment for her to be able to do that."