Venus Williams Wants Serena To Return To Tennis
Venus Williams is returning to the tennis court and she wants her little sister to follow suit.
Venus Williams, 45, is set to play fellow American Peyton Stearns on Tuesday in the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. – her first professional match in more than a year. Venus last match came in March 2024 when she lost in the first round of the Miami Open.
Last week video was posted to social media of 43-year-old Serena hitting balls on a hard court – and Venus said she would love to see her sister make a comeback.
Serena, who won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and is widely considered the GOAT of women's tennis, last played at the 2022 U.S. Open.
'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.'
Serena never officially retired and instead said she was 'evolving away from tennis.'
She and husband Alexis Ohanian have two children. Her first daughter, Olympia, was born in 2017, and her second, Adira, was born in 2023.
Several mothers are currently playing on the WTA Tour, and Belinda Bencic became the latest to reach the Wimbledon semifinals earlier this month.
Venus Williams is not a mom and hasn't won a match in nearly two years – at the 2023 Cincinnati Open.
She is currently unraanked 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 why she keeps 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.'
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