Singles or doubles? A return to become a champion again, or simply to have fun? The highly publicised comeback of Serena Williams, one of the greatest players in tennis history, has no clear direction.
“I don’t need to win. I’ve already won more times than most people will in their entire lives. That’s not important to me, and it’s important that I keep reminding myself of that. I have nothing to prove,” the 44-year-old American said ahead of her return to professional tennis in the doubles draw at Queen’s.
And just a few days later, after securing a first-round victory, she doubled down on that message: “I didn’t have anything better to do. I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are on summer break, so why not?” she said in the post-match interview alongside her partner, Canada’s Victoria Mboko.
The final remark contains a dose of humour, but also a powerful statement. Can Williams, a fierce competitor and record-holder with 39 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles, really be returning to the tour—four years after her retirement—simply to break the routine and enjoy herself for a couple of months?
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She herself is open to that possibility, even admitting that a return to singles is far from a certainty. “I feel like I need to train a bit more if I want to play singles, and we’ll see if I get there. If not, then that’s just not my journey right now,” she said.
Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena’s coach between 2012 and 2022, shares that view. “I think she needs to feel that she can beat the best. If she believes that, she’ll return to singles. If not, I don’t think she will,” said the Frenchman, with whom Serena won 10 Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold at London 2012, on The Big T Podcast.
On the other side stands Rick Macci, who discovered Serena and her sister Venus in the early 1990s and has spent months promoting the idea of a glorious return for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion. “The doubles are a warm-up for playing singles at Wimbledon. And yes, we’ll see an appearance by the GOAT at the US Open,” said the 71-year-old coach.
Macci had already been expressing complete confidence on social media about the return of his former pupil, whom he coached until 1995. “She expects to win another Grand Slam. Never underestimate the heart of the greatest of all time… those serves will be flying at 190 kilometres per hour,” he posted in February this year.
That is the great uncertainty surrounding Serena Williams’ comeback. Will it be a short-lived return focused on doubles, or will she genuinely try to contend for singles titles again?
If the objective ultimately proves to be the latter, the road ahead will not be easy. The American had already returned to the tour after taking time away following the birth of her first child in 2017, reaching four Grand Slam finals between 2018 and 2019 but losing them all. After the Covid-19 hiatus, injuries took their toll, and in 2022 she finally announced her retirement.
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At 44 years old, after four seasons away from the tour and another pregnancy, her comeback can only really be compared to Kim Clijsters’, who returned to professional tennis in 2020 after having retired in 2012. The Belgian was unable to win matches, underwent surgery and ultimately brought her comeback to an end in April 2022.
For now, Williams is not guaranteed a place at Wimbledon, although tournament chief executive Sally Bolton made no secret of her desire to see the 11-time champion back at the All England Club.
“I suppose what I can say is that we can all see the excitement generated by Serena’s return to the tennis court, and particularly to a grass court… The wild card committee will make its decisions in due course and we will communicate them soon,” she said.
The possible build-up to Wimbledon began at Queen’s, where Williams won her opening match but had to withdraw before the second round because of an injury to her partner, Victoria Mboko. The American is set to compete in Berlin in the coming days alongside the Czech Karolína Muchová, in what could be the week her return to Grand Slam tennis is officially announced. Singles or doubles? For now, not even she knows.
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