After stating she would be “evolving away from tennis” post the US Open in 2022, Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, has recently suggested a potential return through her social media posts. Additionally, viewers can catch Novak Djokovic’s matches in Geneva this week, exclusively live on Sky Sports Tennis.

Serena Williams, the renowned tennis icon, has suggested a potential return to the sport after 18 months of stepping back, expressing her readiness to resume playing in a social media post where she mentioned being “ready to hit some balls again”.

In a Vogue magazine essay in 2022, Williams, now 42, mentioned her intentions of “evolving away from tennis”, though she did not specify the US Open as her farewell event. Despite this, she received heartfelt tributes before each match in New York and bid an emotional farewell after being defeated in the third round by Ajla Tomljanovic.

During a conference in San Francisco in October 2022 while promoting her investment company, Serena Ventures, Williams clarified her stance by stating, “I am not retired.” She further indicated a strong possibility of a return, saying, “The chances (of a return) are very high. You can come to my house, I have a court.”

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who burst onto the tennis scene as a teenager and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, admitted that she wasn’t gearing up for a tournament after the US Open, as it didn’t feel natural to her.

“I haven’t really given retirement much thought,” she remarked. “But the other day, I woke up and went to the court, and for the first time in my life, I realized that I wasn’t playing for a competition, and it felt strange.”

“I felt like it was the first day of the rest of my life, and while I’m enjoying it, I’m still trying to strike that balance,” she added, reflecting on her newfound freedom from competitive play.

“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me,” Williams wrote in Vogue in August.

“I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people.

“Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”

In the 18 months since Serena’s departure from the tennis scene, the women’s game has undergone significant evolution. Emerging stars like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina have formed a new ‘Big Four’, elevating women’s tennis to unprecedented heights.

If Serena were to consider a comeback, she would ideally need to be in peak physical condition and prepared to compete against the top players in the world.

Although her last Grand Slam singles title dates back to 2017, Serena has tirelessly pursued her quest to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles. Despite her efforts, she has yet to achieve this milestone.

Novak Djokovic’s triumph in securing his 24th major title at Roland Garros last year could serve as added inspiration for Serena. She may believe that her own journey still holds the potential for a fairy-tale ending.