Venus Williams Refuses to Spill Beans on Sister Serena Williams’ Comeback Rumors

It was no use asking Venus Williams about whether the rumors of her sister Serena Williams‘ comeback are indeed true. Serena, who called time on her career after her third-round defeat at the 2022 US Open, is eligible to compete in a WTA-sanctioned tournament.

When it became known that Serena had entered the drug-testing pool of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), rumors of a possible comeback spread. Retired players are required to make themselves available for drug testing six months before returning to the tour.

When Serena was asked to comment on it, she straightaway denied. Venus was asked during her press conference at Indian Wells whether she and Serena would play doubles this year. And Venus, as expected, refused to spill the beans.

I think you should definitely ask her that.

Venus Williams said

Serena and Venus won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles. It was Venus whom Serena defeated in the final of the 2017 Australian Open to clinch her last Grand Slam title.

Venus has yet to hang up her racket. At the ongoing Indian Wells, the 45-year-old lost to Diane Parry in three sets in the first round, marking her fifth consecutive match loss this year in her fifth tournament. Prior to the third WTA 1000 of the season, Ajla Tomljanovic knocked her out in the first round of the ATX Open.

Novak Djokovic on Serena Williams’ possible return

Novak Djokovic is also at Indian Wells and will kick-start his campaign against Kamil Majchrzak. The Serb is bidding to win his first title since the 2025 Hellenic Championships, where he defeated Lorenzo Musetti.

Djokovic, who is chasing his sixth title in the California desert, was asked about Serena Williams‘ comeback rumors in the pre-tournament press conference. His answer suggested that he is convinced Williams will be back.

I think she’s coming back. I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she’s coming back. Where and how, singles, doubles, we don’t know, and if I’m in her position, I would hide it too. Yeah, everybody is excited, and it’s definitely something that’s very highly anticipated. So, you know, let’s see.

Djokovic also thinks that if Williams indeed returns, she is likely to play at Wimbledon or team up with Venus Williams for doubles. The last time the Williams sisters won a doubles title was at the 2016 Wimbledon by defeating Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova.

I pick that one as well as her comeback, but yeah, I don’t know. I think she might maybe play a doubles tournament or two with Venus. That would be nice to see, just from my point of view and tennis fans, for sure. Yeah, and she’s one of the greatest athletes, really. It would be great to have her back, too.

Novak Djokovic added

The Indian Wells is Djokovic’s second tournament of the season. At the Australian Open, he made the final but failed to end his Grand Slam title drought, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. It was his first Major final since the 2024 Wimbledon, which he lost to the seven-time Grand Slam champion. En route to the title clash, Djokovic knocked out two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in five sets in the semifinals.

The last time the 38-year-old won a Masters 1000 title was at the 2023 Paris Masters, and since then, he has played two finals at this level, losing the 2024 Shanghai Masters to Sinner and last year’s Miami Open to Jakub Mensik. Last year, Djokovic, apart from the Hellenic Championship, also lifted the Geneva Open. The last time he won a Big Title was at the 2024 Paris Olympics by defeating Alcaraz.

Also read: Daniil Medvedev Reveals the Chaos While Leaving Dubai After Middle East Strikes

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.

Subscribe NOW