Serena Williams in talks to return to Queen’s doubles in June

Two double wild cards are available for the tournament at Queen’s, and one is reserved for a team that includes a former world number one, a Grand Slam champion of the last 10 years or a current top-30 player.

Williams has never liked the word retirement, preferring instead to say she will “retire” from tennis in 2022.

She lost to Australia’s Ajla Tomjanovic in the third round of the 2022 US Open in what the world thought would be her last match.

Williams reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier that year and won her last Grand Slam title in 2017 at the age of 35 in Melbourne.

The Lawn Tennis Association has consistently given priority to British players when deciding who should receive wild cards into domestic grass court events.

All four available for the singles draw are likely to go to British players, but the LTA may feel different about the doubles coming due to the “exceptional circumstances” of Williams’ possible return.

LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd told reporters in April: “Never say never and I don’t want to talk about any player, but you will see those wildcard opportunities given to British players in recent years – that’s my basic personal belief and philosophy.

“There may be exceptions that may affect a particular mark, but otherwise we want to pay those playing opportunities to British players.”

The firm’s director of operations, Michael Bourne, hinted that business opportunities could be the cause.

“It’s also important to remember that we in the performance team understand that players have to earn that right,” Bourne said.

“We don’t take them for granted. If we don’t think we have the right depth of player to take those opportunities and there’s something else that’s good for the business, we’ll hold our hands up.”