The last professional tournament that Serena Williams played in was the 2022 US Open. In other words, she hasn't been forced to play at an extremely high level in three and a half years. Taking any time off from the sport can make for a difficult return, but time makes everything more of a struggle, and Williams is now 44 years old.
None of this is to say that the tennis great cannot return and win some matches. She has done too much and been too successful to dismiss easily. But Father Time is undefeated, so a potential return of Williams begs the question: Do fans want her to come back andrisk her failing? Or would we rather have the memories of her elite achievements?
Realistically, Serena Williams shouldn't be expected to win tournaments. Her final title came in the ASB Classic at the start of 2020. Before that, she hadn't won a tournament since 2017. She is a historically great player, but she wasn't historically great for the last several years of her career.
Serena Williams is able to return to tennis but there is a risk
Yet, the buzz of a possible return is real. She has been cleared to compete by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after she completed the protocol for the International Registered Testing Pool to prove she was not taking any banned substances. She could return as soon as March 4 at Indian Wells.
Her former youth coach, Rick Macci, recently told L'Equipe that he is "100 percent certain" that Williams will return, but not to be only a doubles partner with her sister, Venus Williams. When Serena returns, it will be to play in singles, too.
Maybe the all-time great just misses the competition. She misses the thrill of entering the court before a match and the drama that can come point to point. Possibly, she has realistic expectations for herself.
Williams might have watched Naomi Osaka's return after only 15 months and thought that with enough time, she could make deep runs in tournaments. The difference is that when Osaka returned, she was still only 26 years old. Osaka also hasn't won a tournament since she returned in early 2024.
Tennis fans might want Serena Williams to return because we want to watch her play again, and that makes emotional sense. We shouldn't expect too much, however. A few match wins would be nice, but the sport can be ruthless, and players like Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek won't care about the sentimentality of playing Williams when they are trying to beat her.