Venus Williams offered a witty response when asked about the possibility of reuniting with her sister Serena Williams in doubles, gently teasing the latter’s work ethic while making it clear that a comeback requires far more than wishful thinking.
Speaking after her 2026 ATX Open campaign in Texas, Venus suggested that while a reunion would be exciting, it would depend on serious preparation and commitment.
Singles and Doubles Defeats Mark Venus Williams’ ATX Open Appearance
The 45-year-old had just wrapped up her run in Austin, where she exited in the opening round of both singles and doubles. In singles, she fell 4-6, 1-6 to Ajla Tomljanović. In doubles, she partnered with Peyton Stearns but lost 2-6, 6-7(5) to top seeds Taylor Townsend and Storm Hunter.
With Austin behind her, Venus is preparing for the “Sunshine Doubles” in Indian Wells and Miami, where wildcards have ensured her participation as she continues her 2026 season.
Despite the results in Austin, much of the post-match focus centered on whether fans might see the iconic Williams sisters share the court again. Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, has not competed since the 2022 US Open, where she exited in the third round against Tomljanovic.
Since then, her attention has shifted toward family life and her investment firm, Serena Ventures, while she has repeatedly described her departure from tennis as an “evolution” rather than a retirement.
When asked in Austin if the world could expect a doubles reunion, Venus leaned into humor before offering a reality check. “Oh man, wouldn’t that be cool? I never see her practicing though,” she said, laughing.
“We’ll see if she can put some work in.” 👀
Venus was asked again about a potential Williams sisters doubles reunion.
Serena became eligible to return to pro tennis on Sunday. Alycia Parks said she recently hit with the 23-time major singles champ (per @tennismajorsfr) pic.twitter.com/TmudbXpFaU
— Christian’s Court (@christianscourt) February 25, 2026
When the reporter interjected that there was video footage of Serena hitting, Venus doubled down on the joke. “But I don’t know where she’s doing it.” She then shifted to a more measured tone, outlining what a legitimate return would require. “So I think to come back you have to get out there. So we’ll see if she can put some work in. I mean, of course playing for exercise is nice. Yeah, there’s a lot of hours that goes into it. So we’ll see what happens.”
The exchange added fuel to renewed speculation about Serena’s eligibility to return. With her six-month reentry period in the anti-doping testing pool expired on Feb. 22, she is once again cleared to compete.
Reports from tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg indicated she was expected to be reinstated before the end of February, intensifying discussion about possible appearances at events such as Indian Wells or Miami.
