Serena Williams set for familiar welcome in Palm Springs

Serena Williams’ husband has organised for four roadside billboards featuring images of their daughter to be erected to welcome the former world number one back to WTA Tour action.

Williams will play her first individual tournament since the birth of Alexis Olympia last September at next week’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

And, if the 36-year-old travels down Interstate 10 into nearby Palm Springs on her way to the tournament, she will see the work of husband Alexis Ohanian.

Ohanian posted pictures of the billboards, three of which feature images of Alexis Olympia and one of Williams and her daughter accompanied by the message ‘Greatest momma of all time’, on Twitter.

Williams has no ranking having not played an official singles match since winning her 23rd grand slam singles title at the Australian Open last year, when she was in the early stages of pregnancy, but can use a protected ranking of one to enter tournaments.

She played an exhibition against French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in Abu Dhabi in December before deciding not to defend her title in Melbourne and then partnered sister Venus in a Fed Cup doubles contest earlier in February.

The BNP Paribas Open is one of the biggest events on the WTA Tour, with all of the top 10 in the field.