Aryna Sabalenka, who has advanced to her fourth consecutive Australian Open final after defeating Elina Svitolina in the semifinal, has recently expressed positive and respectful thoughts on the comeback speculation surrounding the WTA legend Serena Williams. The former World No. 1 for 319 weeks had sparked her potential to return to the court after re-entering the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s registered testing pool.
Aryna Sabalenka Remains Neutral Yet Excited for Serena Williams’ Potential Comeback to the Court
The World No. 1 had begun her 2026 season on a high note, successfully defending her Brisbane International title, defeating Cristina Bucșa, Sorana Cîrstea, Madison Keys, Karolína Muchová, and Marta Kostyuk along the way.
Her dominant buildup and performance notably continued as she advanced to the final at Melbourne Park, where she won two titles in 2023 and 2024. Without dropping a set, the Belarusian star overcame players including Anastasia Potapova, Victoria Mboko, Iva Jovic, and others to reach the coveted title-winning match, where she will face Elena Rybakina, who has also not lost a set during her dominant run at Melbourne Park.
Sabalenka, an icon in the sport with prominent achievements, was recently questioned about her thoughts on Serena Williams’ potential return to professional competition.
To which the winner of 22 WTA singles titles, including four majors, gave a supportive, respectful, and balanced viewpoint, without stirring any fire, highlighting that it is solely dependent on the legend, expressing, “That’s amazing. I heard she’s enjoying her life. Whatever makes her happy, I’m happy for her. If she wants to come back, that’s her decision. It’s gonna be fun to see her back on tour. She’s got the personality. She’s a fun one. It will be cool.” (via The Tennis Letter X post)
Aryna Sabalenka was asked about the possibility of Serena Williams coming back to tennis:
“That’s amazing. I heard she’s enjoying her life. Whatever makes her happy, I’m happy for her. If she wants to come back, that’s her decision. It’s gonna be fun to see her back on tour.… pic.twitter.com/ZScrsXXW44
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 29, 2026
During her post-match press conference, Sabalenka was further asked whether there are locker room chats dedicated to Williams’ return, to which she mentioned, “I mean, me personally, I didn’t speak to anyone about that. I feel like everyone is on the same page; whatever makes her happy, it’s her life, she can do whatever she wants.”
Sabalenka’s thoughts on Williams’ return come hours after the legend herself shared a playful yet elusive answer about her comeback during her interview on the ‘Today Show‘ with Savannah Guthrie. The decorated player, who left the court with 23 major titles and other remarkable feats, said she is enjoying her new role as a mother and housewife, but kept her answer ambiguous, neither yes nor no.
