After more than a year out of the sport, Serena Williams is finally ready to make her return to professional tennis. She announced on Wednesday that she will be participating in the BNP Paribas Open, otherwise known as the 2018 Indian Wells Masters, on Thursday.
Indian Wells 2018 live stream: How to watch Serena Williams’ return online, plus match schedule and times
Serena Williams is making her return to professional tennis on Thursday
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Williams is set to play Thursday evening against Zarina Diyas, the 53rd-ranked player in the world and unseeded in the tournament. The match will be televised live on the Tennis Channel, with ESPN live streaming all courts, via ESPN3. The Tennis Channel coverage can also be streamed via their service, Tennis Channel Everywhere.
The televised coverage will begin at 2 p.m. ET, with another block of coverage at 10 p.m. A full schedule has not yet been released, but Williams’ match will be a night match, so it should be part of the second block.
Williams would typically get a first-round bye in tournaments like this, but because she’s been so inactive, she is unseeded. She will face Diyas, and if she manages to win, she’ll take on No. 29 Kiki Bertens in the next round. If she manages to win that, and her sister, Venus Williams, wins her second-round match, then they would face each other in the third round.
Thursday also happens to be International Women’s Day, and Williams, in her announcement, was very excited about that. She talked about her comeback and her charity on her Instagram.
Below is all you need to know to watch on Thursday.
How to watch Serena Williams’ return
Event: BNP Paribas Open/Indian Wells Masters
Date: Thursday, March 8
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: Tennis Channel
Online Streaming: ESPN3, Tennis Channel Everywhere
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