By Kennedy Nalyanya
Tennis legend Venus Williams is making her highly anticipated comeback at the DC Open after over a year away from the sport. As she prepares to hit the courts, reporters are, understandably, buzzing about a recent social media video posted by her sister, Serena Williams, which has set the tennis world alight with comeback speculation.
The video in question shows the younger Williams sister looking as formidable as ever, unleashing the kind of powerful groundstrokes that were once the bane of her opponents. This dazzling display immediately raised the question: Is a Serena comeback on the horizon too?
"I mean, I keep saying to my team: 'The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,' like we always did everything together, so of course I miss her," Venus told reporters, according to the Associated Press, ahead of her return. "But if she comes back, I'm sure she'll let y'all know."
Venus further fuelled the excitement by recounting a recent training session where Serena briefly joined her, noting how effortlessly her sister was still striking the ball despite her time away from competitive play.
Serena Williams, who boasts an incredible 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 in doubles with Venus, and two mixed doubles titles, last competed at the 2022 US Open. Her sister's comments highlight just how unique Serena's talent truly is.
"She can take six months off and she clocks it clean," Venus marvelled. "You can't teach that kind of talent. She's just so good. I don't know what she's going to do. I don't ask those questions. I think we always hit the ball because that's who we are, we're always hitting."
Meanwhile, Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion herself, is stepping back into WTA Tour action for the first time since March 2024, when she faced an opening-round loss at the Miami Open. Her last singles win on tour dates back to 2023 at the Cincinnati Open. Currently, she's unranked and listed as "inactive" on the WTA website.
Despite the challenges, Venus shared the driving force behind her continued desire to play. "You know, I believe in love and those around me, so my family, my friends," Williams said. "They keep me going and keep me grounded. Those are the people that are there for you when the things are lowest. They're there for you also when the things are highest because also it's hard too when you're high and trying to maintain that and trying to deal with what's happening when you're high and low. So, the love always gets you through."
As Venus makes her return, all eyes will be on her performance, with many also holding out hope that Serena's recent court time might hint at a future surprise.
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