Serena Williams Hints At Tennis Return After Split With Coach
THE GOAT could be on her way back.
Former world number one and arguably tennis's greatest female player, Serena Williams, has dropped her first hint that she could return to action at Wimbledon later this year.
It comes after her long-time coach Patrick Mouratoglou announced he would work with Simona Halep on a 'full-time' basis.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion's future was shrouded in doubt following the news of her split with Mouratoglou, but Williams would later appear in an Instagram video with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, posted backstage at a Bitcoin conference in Miami.
"We've been talking about my comeback, and he's been hyping me up and getting me ready for Wimbledon. Can't wait!" Williams said.
"Wimbledon? What about the US Open?", Rodgers asked.
Williams responded: "Wimbledon is before the US Open! I have to play Wimbledon first!"
"We've been talking about my comeback!"
- Gibson Johns (@gibsonoma) April 7, 2022
Serena Williams on her Instagram Story dispelling any assumptions that just because her longtime coach is working with someone else now, that doesn't mean she's done with tennis. :pray: pic.twitter.com/kevz2yHO24
The 40-year-old American, who just had her life story told in the film King Richard, has not played since retiring from her first-round match at Wimbledon last June with a torn right hamstring.
She skipped the Australian Open in January with her ranking dropping to 246.
William's partnership with Mouratoglou has been a successful one, winning 10 of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles since pairing up in 2012.
Romanian Halep will be hoping for the same kind of success under Mouratoglou with Halep originally approaching the Frenchman while he was still Williams' coach.
"It was out of question at the time (given commitment to Williams)," Mouratoglou said on social media.
"A few weeks later, I had a conversation with Serena, and the door opened for me, at least short term, to work with someone else."
The former world number one, who won Roland Garros in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019, will begin her partnership with Mouratoglou immediately.
"She has been world number one. There is no reason why she couldn't, or she wouldn't be able to do that again. She's a champion. I also feel that she has a big margin for improvement in many aspects, and she's still very hungry," Mouratoglou said.
"So, I think it's a fantastic basis to build something and with the goal to do at least as good as before."
Topics: Serena Williams, Australia
Ryan Rosendale