Venus Williams wishes sister Serena would come out of retirement to join her in competition

CNN

6 days ago

As Venus Williams prepares to make her tennis comeback at the DC Open after more than a year away from the sport, she has unsurprisingly fielded questions from reporters on a video her sister, Serena, recently posted on social media.
In the video, the younger Williams sister looks as athletic as she did during her career, crushing huge groundstrokes that were such a nightmare for her opponents.
So, is there a Serena comeback on the cards, too?
'I mean, I keep saying to my team: 'The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,' like we always did everything together, so of course I miss her,' Venus told reporters ahead of her return, per the Associated Press.
'But if she comes back, I'm sure she'll let y'all know.'
Williams went on to tell reporters about a recent training session that her sister briefly joined, remarking at how well she was still striking the ball after time away from the court.
Serena – who won 23 grand slam singles titles, 14 in doubles with her sister and two mixed doubles titles – last played competitively at the 2022 US Open.
'She can take six months off and she clocks it clean,' Williams said.
'You can't teach that kind of talent. She's just so good. I don't know what she's going to do. I don't ask those questions. I think we always hit the ball because that's who we are, we're always hitting.'
Venus Williams, a seven-time grand slam singles champion, last played a WTA Tour match in March 2024 when she lost in the opening round of the Miami Open to Russian Diana Shnaider.
The 45-year-old's last singles win on the tour was in 2023 against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open.
She is currently without a ranking and is listed as 'inactive' on the WTA website.
'You know, I believe in love and those around me, so my family, my friends,' Williams said of her desire to continue playing. 'They keep me going and keep me grounded.
'Those are the people that are there for you when the things are lowest. They're there for you also when the things are highest because also it's hard too when you're high and trying to maintain that and trying to deal with what's happening when you're high and low.
'So, the love always gets you through.'