Serena Williams former coach Rick Macci has suggested that the 44-year-old could choose Indian Wells or the Miami Open as the stage for her much-anticipated return to tennis.
Macci believes the 23-time Grand Slam champion is determined to make a comeback, saying she is “going all out” in training to prepare herself for a return to competitive action.
Serena Williams, who captured her last Grand Slam singles title in 2017 and has not played since the 2022 US Open to became eligible to enter tournaments after rejoining the tennis anti-doping testing pool last year.
Although the American has publicly denied that she is planning a return to the sport she dominated for more than two decades. She sparked speculation last month by sidestepping questions about a comeback during an appearance on NBC’s Today Show.
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Macci, who coached Serena and her sister Venus in the early year 1990s, told French publication L’Equipe that he believes she is actively preparing to step back onto the court.
Rick Macci said,
“She’s get training with lots of sparring partners, “She is also played with Alycia Parks, a good friend of hers in South Florida. So I have no doubt about her comeback. I always thought she would come back from time to time to make appearances with Venus in doubles champions.”
“But we are not just talking about doubles here. She is going all out. If she didn’t think she could compete with the best and win matches, she wouldn’t do it. It is 100 per cent certain she will come back into competition again.”
The 71-year-old Rick Macci had no doubts about Serena’s ability to handle the rigours of the tour.
“The big question is whether that competitive spirit is still there, “She is answering that question herself and she is coming back because she is a competitor at heart.”
In August 2022, Serena Williams said she was “evolving away from tennis” and her team has not responded to Reuters, requests for comment regarding a potential comeback.
However, Rick Macci suggested that Serena could target Indian Wells or the Miami Open next month as the ideal platform to relaunch her Tennis career.
“Making an appearance, playing an exhibition match or even a single match is one thing. “But coming back the next day and the day after that, and performing consistently at a high level is a completely different challenge.”
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