Serena Williams’ coach reveals US Open plan after Wimbledon comeback
Serena Williams’ coach has issued an update on the 44-year-old’s condition following her Wimbledon comeback.
The 23-time major winner returned to the sport last month after nearly four years away, first trying her hand at doubles.
After a couple of matches at Queen’s Club and in Berlin, Serena was handed a Wimbledon wildcard for the women’s singles, before she lost in a tight three-setter to Maya Joint in the first round.
She then took to social media to outline how much fluid had built up in her knee off the back of her return to Centre Court at SW19.
That forced her to pull out of the doubles event with sister Venus Williams and now the attention has turned to when she will next be back on the court.
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In the second week of Wimbledon, her coach, Rennae Stubbs, spoke to reporters about what is in store for the former world No 1.
The Australian said that Serena wants to play a warm-up event before this year’s US Open, while adding that she may have more success on hard court.
Serena’s movement struggles were exposed on the grass of Wimbledon and Stubbs thinks hard courts will be more “stable” for her.
She told reporters, “I’ll leave it to her to discuss her medical stuff and how she’s feeling but I know that for her, trying to play, certainly something before the US Open will be something she would like to do.
“She doesn’t want to go and do what she did here, which was just play singles, at the US Open, but at the same time it’s going to depend on physically how she’s doing.”
“She’s got a lot of things to consider, her family, her businesses. But her goal is to keep going.
“Getting on the hard court will be a lot more stable for her. And we all know how well she plays on hard court. So it’s just a matter of getting her body back into the shape she wants. And then we’ll see.”
Serena is arguably the greatest women’s tennis player of all time, and as a result, getting a wildcard will not be an issue.
The next big tournament after Wimbledon is at the National Bank Open in Toronto (1000 event), which starts on 2 August. However, on 27 July, there is a 500 WTA Tour competition in Washington.
The Cincinnati Open begins on 13 August, before the US Open itself gets underway on 30 August. Whether Serena can get some wins under her belt before then remains to be seen.
