At Indian Wells, Novak Djokovic was asked how he thinks Serena Williams will return to professional tennis.
By now, everyone believes her return is imminent since she is now officially eligible as of February 22.
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Serena has not publicly said she is returning, but fans have seen her social media posts practicing serves, and Alycia Parks recently released video of her practice session with the 44-year-old who retired in September 2022.
What Novak Djokovic said
Djokovic thinks she could play singles and doubles with sister Venus which would be great for tennis fans and for the sport in general.
He admitted that if he was in Serena’s shoes, he would keep his plans close to the vest also.
That is an interesting comment since many are speculating what Djokovic’s future plans are. Fans took video of him enjoying a quiet moment on the Indian Wells practice court and wondered if it had significance.
Serena Williams will let us know when she is ready
It is possible Serena is not sure what she wants to do. She is not going to come back if she doesn’t believe she can compete at a high level.
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She also has two children and a busy family life to balance. When she retired, she had just her oldest daughter so there is more to factor in. We know that she is a hands-on parent and sometimes shares the relatable exhaustion social media posts.
Her decision may also have to do with Venus if Djokovic is correct that they will play doubles. Venus was supposed to play doubles with Leylah Fernandez at Indian Wells, but the duo are not in the official draw. No explanation has been provided. Each is only playing singles.
A Serena Williams return has the potential to be one of the most interesting tennis stories of the 2026 season. Until we know anything for certain, we will continue to wait, wonder, and speculate.
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