Venus Williams sends strong message to Serena Williams doubters before highly anticipated return to tennis

Serena Williams’ possible return to professional tennis is once again becoming one of the biggest talking points in the sport. While the 23-time Grand Slam champion has repeatedly denied that a comeback was in the works, recent developments have only added more excitement. With Serena set to appear at the HSBC Championships after receiving a wildcard into the doubles draw, fans are now closer than ever to seeing her back on court nearly four years after her last match.

As the discussion continues to grow, one person who remains confident in Serena Williams’ abilities is her older sister, Venus Williams. Speaking during a recent TNT broadcast, Venus made it clear that she has not closely followed Serena’s training schedule. However, she believes Serena’s natural talent has never disappeared, even after spending years away from competition. Her comments have only fueled further excitement around the tennis legend’s long-awaited return.

Venus Williams believes Serena Williams still has the talent to compete despite years away from tennis

When asked whether Serena had spoken to her six or eight months ago about returning to the WTA Tour, Venus quickly dismissed that idea.

“It didn’t happen like that,” Venus said.

She then explained that she rarely sees Serena practicing these days, making it difficult to know exactly how much training her sister has been doing.

“I think that she hits every now and then. I never see her on the court that often. So I don’t know when she’s been practicing, honestly. I’m honest.”

Even without seeing much of her sister’s preparation, Venus said Serena’s talent remains remarkable.

“I don’t know how her form is. But what I will tell you is that she cannot hit for like four months, and I’ll be hitting, and she’ll come out and grab a racket and running shoes, and just hits a ton out of the ball. It’s incredible.”

Venus continued to praise Serena’s natural ability and competitive mindset.

“So the quality of her stroke is obviously there. She’s, I think, a little bit of a natural. She has a pretty good record; she knows what she’s doing. She’s very tenacious, so I’m not worried about how she’s going to play.”

Venus has shared similar thoughts before. Speaking at the Citi DC Open in July 2025, she said, “I’m her biggest fan. She can take six months off, and she clocks it clean. You can’t teach that kind of talent. She’s just so good.”

Meanwhile, excitement around Serena’s return has continued to grow throughout the tennis world. Earlier this year, Alycia Parks revealed that she had been practicing with Serena, which sparked fresh speculation. More recently, the Queen’s Club Championships confirmed that Serena had received a wildcard into the doubles draw.

The announcement quickly drew reactions from several tennis stars. Coco Gauff posted, “Dreams come true.” Serena’s husband Alexis Ohanian reacted with a surprised-face emoji, while Andy Roddick simply wrote, “Let’s go.”

Now, with Serena Williams preparing to return to grass courts once again, fans are eagerly waiting to see what happens next.