INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Even Novak Djokovic can’t help but be excited about Serena Williams’ return to tennis.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the BNP Paribas Open, the 24-time major champion was asked about Williams, a 23-time major champion, having cleared doping protocols and thus paved the way for a potential return.
“I think it will come back,” Djokovic said. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her, but I think the feeling is that she will come back. We don’t know where or how, whether in singles or doubles, and if I were in her place, I would hide that as well.
“Yes, everyone is excited, and it’s definitely something very expected. So, you know, let’s see.”
When Djokovic came under more pressure, he said he believed Wimbledon, a tournament where Williams and Djokovic have both won seven times, would be a great potential site for her official return. But he added that she “maybe play a doubles tournament or two with Venus” first.
“It would be great to see that from my point of view and from the point of view of the tennis fans for sure,” Djokovic (38 years old) said. “Yes, and Serena is one of the truly great athletes. It would be great to have her back too.”
Williams retired — or, as she puts it, retired — from tennis after the 2022 US Open to continue expanding her family. She welcomed her second child with husband Alexis Ohanian the following year.
In recent years, the 44-year-old has been seen publicly cheering on her older sister, Venus, as she continues to play professionally. Venus, in turn, has spoken openly about her desire for Serena – who wrote “PS: I wish I was like you” in a fan letter to Venus after her first-round exit at the US Open in August – to continue playing.
Williams returned to the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) registered testing pool in the fall, and news of her return broke in early December. In doing so, she will have to provide her whereabouts at any time, every day, and participate in a random test for six months before she is officially returned.
She denied she was returning at the time, posting on X: “Oh my god I’m not coming back” – but her responses to such questions have softened recently. Earlier this week, Alicia Parkes, currently ranked 96th in the world, posted a video of herself clashing with Williams, sparking further speculation.
Williams was officially reinstated at the end of last month. She did not provide any additional information about if or when she will play again, but that will not stop tennis fans, including fellow tennis players like Djokovic, from getting excited about the possibility.
