Serena Williams has ignited widespread buzz with the news of her tennis comeback nearly four years after she stepped away from competition. At the time, the American legend was very specific about not using the word “retirement.” She insisted on calling the phase “evolving away from tennis.”
Williams is now scheduled to make her return at the 2026 Queen’s Club Championships in London, which begin on June 8. Ahead of the crowd-pulling spectacle, her sister, Venus Williams, shared her thoughts.
Venus Williams Is ‘Not Worried About Sister Serena Williams’ Comeback
Serena Williams played her last match under the shimmering lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2022, when Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic knocked her out in the third round of the US Open. Less than a year later, she gave birth to her second daughter, Adira. After stepping away from tennis, Williams shifted her focus to motherhood and her venture capital firm.
Recently, the 23-time Grand Slam champion dropped multiple hints of her comeback through her Instagram posts. The first major indication came when Williams re-joined the anti-doping testing pool. WTA player Alycia Parks also confirmed that she had been training with the legend.
Meanwhile, her older sister, Venus, has reduced her appearances but is still active on the WTA circuit. She was scheduled to contest the women’s doubles category at the ongoing French Open but was removed from the draw when her partner, Hailey Baptiste, retired injured from the tournament.
Despite the setback, Venus stayed back in Paris and recently gave her verdict on her sister’s return. “I think it was more me bullying her to come… no, not at all,” she joked during her TNT Sports appearance.
“I think she hits every now and then, and I never see her on court that often, so I don’t know when she’s been practicing, honestly,” she added.
According to Venus, Serena looks like she never stepped away whenever she picks up her racket. “I don’t know how her form is. But what I will tell you is that she could not hit for four months, and I’ll be hitting, and she’ll come out and grab a racket and running shoes and just hit the ton out of the ball without ever hitting. It’s incredible.”
“The quality of her stroke is obviously there; she’s, I think, a little bit of a natural. She has a pretty good record; she knows what she’s doing. She’s pretty tenacious. So, I’m not worried about how she’s going to play even though I haven’t really seen her play,” Venus continued.
.@Venuseswilliams on @serenawilliams‘s return to tennis: “The quality of her stroke is obviously there; she’s, I think, a little bit of a natural… she’s very tenacious. So, I’m not worried about how she’s going to play.” ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/BIuiZp2DBj
— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsPR) June 2, 2026
Serena Williams has received a doubles wildcard at the Queen’s Club Championships (June 8-14). Although her partner has yet to be confirmed, Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko is rumored to fill the spot.
