{"id":63180,"date":"2026-06-15T08:36:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T08:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/63180\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T08:36:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T08:36:30","slug":"serena-williams-comeback-at-44-a-return-with-no-clear-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/63180\/","title":{"rendered":"Serena Williams\u2019 comeback at 44: a return with no clear path"},"content":{"rendered":"

Singles or doubles? A return to become a champion again, or simply to have fun? The highly publicised comeback of \u00a0Serena Williams<\/a>, one of the greatest players in tennis history, has no clear direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t need to win. I\u2019ve already won more times than most people will in their entire lives. That\u2019s not important to me, and it\u2019s important that I keep reminding myself of that. I have nothing to prove,\u201d the 44-year-old American said ahead of her return to professional tennis in the doubles draw at Queen\u2019s.<\/p>\n

And just a few days later, after securing a first-round victory, she doubled down on that message: \u201cI didn\u2019t have anything better to do. I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are on summer break, so why not?\u201d she said in the post-match interview alongside her partner, Canada\u2019s Victoria Mboko<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u2014four years after her retirement\u2014simply to break the routine and enjoy herself for a couple of months?<\/p>\n

She herself is open to that possibility, even admitting that a return to singles is far from a certainty. \u201cI feel like I need to train a bit more if I want to play singles, and we\u2019ll see if I get there. If not, then that\u2019s just not my journey right now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena\u2019s coach between 2012 and 2022, shares that view. \u201cI think she needs to feel that she can beat the best. If she believes that, she\u2019ll return to singles. If not, I don\u2019t think she will,\u201d said the Frenchman, with whom Serena won 10 Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold at London 2012, on The Big T Podcast.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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. \u201cThe doubles are a warm-up for playing singles at Wimbledon. And yes, we\u2019ll see an appearance by the GOAT at the US Open,\u201d said the 71-year-old coach.<\/p>\n

Macci had already been expressing complete confidence on social media about the return of his former pupil, whom he coached until 1995. \u201cShe expects to win another Grand Slam. Never underestimate the heart of the greatest of all time\u2026 those serves will be flying at 190 kilometres per hour,\u201d he posted in February this year.<\/p>\n

That is the great uncertainty surrounding Serena Williams\u2019 comeback. Will it be a short-lived return focused on doubles, or will she genuinely try to contend for singles titles again?<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

At 44 years old, after four seasons away from the tour and another pregnancy, her comeback can only really be compared to Kim Clijsters\u2019, 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose what I can say is that we can all see the excitement generated by Serena\u2019s return to the tennis court, and particularly to a grass court\u2026 The wild card committee will make its decisions in due course and we will communicate them soon,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The possible build-up to Wimbledon began at Queen\u2019s, 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 Karol\u00edna Muchov\u00e1, in what could be the week her return to Grand Slam tennis is officially announced. Singles or doubles? For now, not even she knows.<\/p>\n

If you enjoyed this article from CLAY, buy us a coffee on Ko-fi<\/a> and follow us on Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0X (Twitter)<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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