Serena Williams’ ex-coach claims she will make comeback at US Open to partner sister Venus
Tennis coaching legend Rick Macci believes his former student Serena Williams could come out of retirement to play at this year’s US Open.
Williams is considered by many to be the greatest female player in the history of tennis, having won an Open Era record of 23 women’s singles Grand Slams. She spent 319 weeks as the world No 1 and secured 73 WTA Tour singles titles.
The American turned pro in 1995 and played the final match of her staggering career at the 2022 US Open — when she was 40 — losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round.
Serena’s older sister, Venus Williams, is still competing and made headlines with her comeback at the Washington Open last month.
The 45-year-old became the second-oldest player in WTA Tour history to win a singles match after Martina Navratilova by beating Peyton Stearns in her first match in over 16 months.
Venus Williams has entered the US Open mixed doubles event and is also expected to receive a singles wildcard.
Macci has revealed he thinks Serena Williams will make a comeback of her own to partner her sister in the US Open doubles event later this month.
“Asked if Serena will play doubles with Vee at the OPEN,” the American wrote on X.
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“My gut is probably because at the end of the day Serena can still play even though she has been away.
“Her serve is still one of the best on the planet and when she competes her mindset is like granite.”
The Williams sisters won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together between 1999 and 2016 and remarkably never lost as a team in a major championship match.
Macci coached both Venus and Serena Williams between 1991 and 1995 at his tennis academy in Florida.
In an interview with Tennis 365, Macci argued no players even come close to Serena Williams in the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate.
“Serena’s the GOAT and the best player of all time, and I don’t think anybody is even in the passenger side when you talk about Serena,” the 70-year-old asserted.
The coach also spoke to Tennis365 about Venus Williams’ comeback.
“Both her and Serena, as you saw from the movie King Richard, both like my daughters,” Macci said. “Especially Venus, because she was a little older and I spent more time with her.
“Listen, at the end of the day, she just loves to play. I saw the same smile and enthusiasm. She won that match [against Stearns in Washington], she’s bouncing up and down like a human pogo stick. The same exact thing I saw at age 14, it was identical.”
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