Serena Williams Returns To Court To Prep For US Open

Serena Williams is giving tennis fans something to look forward to as she seems to be making a bounce-back. 

Serena is one of the sport’s most decorated champions. Hence, it came as such a disappointment to fans when an injury caused her to pull out of the highly anticipated doubles match with her sister, Venus Williams. 

However, with another major tournament around the corner, attention is turning back to the star athlete, and excitement is building to see what she has in store. 

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The 23-time Grand Slam champion is raising anticipation among watchers with her latest Instagram Story. 

The post showed the Olympic gold medalist on a tennis court, wearing a white athletic shirt, blue leggings, and white sneakers. She completed her athletic look with a visor over her pulled-back hair as she is seen casually hitting a tennis ball back and forth. 

This comes as a reassurance, as Serena had to step back from her earlier-scheduled Wimbledon match with her sister Venus Williams. 

According to PEOPLE Magazine, the 44-year-old was set to reunite with Venus on July 4 against Camilla Osorio and Solana Sierra. However, Serena had hurt her knee in her first-round singles match against Maya Joint, which resulted in a loss for her. 

Supporters had remained hopeful. However, Serena revealed on her Instagram that she would not be playing the match. She shared that she had done everything possible to recover, but it was just not happening. 

Serena Williams Revealed She Would Keep Playing Despite Injury

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The injury had people questioning Serena’s future in tennis and whether it was finally retirement for her. 

Luckily, the record was set straight by the athlete’s coach, Rennae Stubbs, as reported by The Blast. Stubbs shared that Serena fully intended to continue playing and was eyeing the upcoming US Open tournament in New York. 

Stubbs explained that the main goal was to get the gold medalist back on track and back on the practice court as soon as she was physically well enough to swing a racket. 

Serena Williams Had To Give Herself A Pep Talk Ahead Of Wimbledon Return

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Before her Wimbledon reappearance, the tennis star had been absent from the field for four years. Stepping back into the spotlight may not have been as easy as it looked for her. 

Serena needed to really dig deep before accepting the special invitation to compete in the championship. With organizers reserving one special spot for her, the tennis icon was left with a very important decision to make, per The Blast.

“I thought I should really take this opportunity. Who knows if I’ll ever make it here again. This could be it,” the four-time Olympic gold medalist shared. 

She reflected on the internal debate she had to make before finally making the decision to join the tournament. “I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me, Serena? What are you thinking? Are you nuts? Like you really should do this.’” 

Serena Williams Cites Her Daughter As The Reason For Her Tennis Comeback

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This came as a surprise to the sporting world, as the 44-year-old had announced her retirement back in 2022. 

Two months ago, the tennis star let fans in on the real reason behind her decision to come back on court. 

The Grand Slam great revealed her daughter, Olympia, was a huge driving force, The Blast reports. “Well, I think it’s going to be fun. My daughter Olympia told me that I should play with Venus. She’s always right,” she said. 

The athlete went on to describe her daughter as very serious, very smart, and very wise. Venus and alpine skier Lindsey Vonn were also both listed as motivation for the athlete. After watching her sister and Vonn achieve great feats in different sports, Serena was convinced to compete again. 

Meghan Markle Was Not Present To Support Serena Williams At Wimbledon 

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Serena’s much-awaited comeback of the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion was met with a lot of fanfare. Multiple celebrities flocked to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to witness the unforgettable event. 

It was noted, however, that Meghan Markle was not present in the crowd. There were speculations about whether she would make an appearance. Instead, her alleged rival, Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, showed up to support Serena, per The Blast.

The Duchess of Sussex had watched Serena compete at the SW19 grass courts in 2019. Due to her absence, fans suspect the longtime friends are no longer as close.