Serena Williams’ possible comeback events after former coach says ‘it’s 100% certain’ she will return
Serena Williams has officially been cleared to compete again by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and it appears the only question left is: Where will she make her comeback?
Nearly four years after announcing she is “evolving away from tennis”, Williams has been removed from the retired players list on the ITIA website with her name appearing on the reinstated list since February 22.
The move comes after she completed her stint in the International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) as protocol states players “may not return to sanctioned events unless they have made themselves available for out-of-competition testing for at least six months prior to the event in question”.
It means the 23-time Grand Slam winner can now enter tournaments again and, although Williams herself has not made any comment yet, her youth coach Rick Macci is convinced it is only a matter of time before she competes again.
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“She’s training with lots of sparring partners – guys,” he told L’Equipe. “She’s also played with Alycia Parks, a good friend of hers in South Florida. So I have no doubt about it (her comeback). I always thought she would come back from time to time to make appearances with Venus in doubles.
“But we’re not just talking about doubles here … she’s going all out. If she didn’t think she could compete with the best and win matches, she wouldn’t do it. It’s 100% certain she’ll dive back into competition.”
Which Tournament Will Be Her Comeback Event?
The first big event on the calendar after her reinstatement is the Indian Wells Open with the tournament starting on March 4, but she doesn’t appear on the wildcard list just yet with organisers telling Front Office Sports they have received “no word or indication from Serena and her teams regarding any plans to return”.
The small matter of her sister Venus receiving a wildcard entry for the tournament could also play a big role in Serena competing, especially with doubles also an option.
But on the other side of the coin, Indian Wells is an event both Williams sisters boycotted for several years after they, along with their father Richard, were subjected to racist abuse in 2001.
Of course, relationships improved as she returned to the event in 2015.
Organisers still have seven wildcards to confirm.
After Indian Wells, the Miami Open is next on the calendar with the second leg of the Sunshine Double running from March 17-29.
Williams is an eight-time winner in Miami and organisers would sell an arm and a leg to have her in the main draw.
A Clay Or Grass Comeback?
After the Miami Open, the focus turns to clay with the WTA 500 Charleston Open up first, or she could wait for the WTA 1000 events in Madrid (April 23) and Rome (May 5).
Although Roland Garros could also offer her a wildcard, it is highly unlikely that she will go straight into a Grand Slam without match practice under her belt.
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The grass-court season starts on June 8 with a host of warm-up events, including the Queen’s Club Championships, German Open and Eastbourne Open, before Wimbledon gets underway on June 29.
She, of course, could opt to compete in just the doubles.
Back On Home Soil?
The Cincinnati Open has been a favourite for Williams and is a perfect warm-up tournament leading into the US Open.
Of course, the ideal scenario would be to play in Cincy before making her Grand Slam comeback at Flushing Meadows, four years after she played her last match there.
