Novak Djokovic fueled speculation Wednesday that Serena Williams may return to competitive tennis this year, suggesting Wimbledon as the likely stage for her comeback.
The 44-year-old American, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, has not played since a third-round exit at the 2022 U.S. Open, when she announced she was "evolving away from tennis."
Her re-entry into the sport’s anti-doping pool last December reignited hopes of a return, though she has neither confirmed nor denied plans to resume competition.
"I think she’s coming back. I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she’s coming back,” Djokovic told reporters at Indian Wells. "I pick Wimbledon as her comeback, but maybe she’ll play a doubles tournament or two with Venus. That would be nice to see, for tennis fans and from my point of view.”
The Serbian star added that seeing Williams back on court would be a welcome boost for the sport. "She’s one of the greatest athletes. It would be great to have her back,” he said.
Tennis Channel analyst Prakash Amritraj echoed the sentiment, noting that Williams would likely need warm-up events before competing in a Grand Slam. "Maybe there’s a world where she’s gearing up for Wimbledon, but she definitely needs some matches first,” he told Reuters. On a lighter note, he added, "I got my wish list card for Serena-Roger mixed doubles at the U.S. Open.”
Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, also commented on her impressive training regimen, pointing to the possibility of a return. Meanwhile, her sister Venus, 45, accepted a wild card into the Indian Wells singles draw, facing France’s Diane Parry in the first round.
Djokovic, seeded third in Indian Wells, is returning to the desert event after falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final. "I’ve proven to myself and others I can still compete at the highest level,” he said. "Why not keep going while I have the fire, flair, and motivation?”
He will open his Indian Wells campaign Saturday against either France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak, seeking a sixth title at a tournament he shares in record five wins with Roger Federer.