Venus Williams Responds To Comeback Rumors After Posting Practice Videos

Venus Williams gave fans hope of a possible return to professional tennis with her comments during a recent interview.

Williams has not competed on the WTA Tour since the 2024 Miami Open over 15 months ago. The tennis legend turned 45 last month, and most players would not even consider making a comeback at that age.

Since her last professional appearance, Williams wrote a book about wellness and appeared at high-profile events. She has kept herself busy with various activities that have made competing at tennis tournaments challenging.

However, despite being outside the Top 1000, Venus is not officially retired and has spoken about possibly returning by picking and choosing her tournaments by being handed wild cards when she wants to play.

Those desperate to see Venus in action again will be cautiously optimistic by her words in an interview on the Today Show on NBC. The seven-time Grand Slam winner said she was striking the ball pretty well and did not rule out a comeback.

Venus' legendary 23-time Grand Slam-winning sister Serena Williams retired at the 2022 US Open. Despite admitting to missing tennis like crazy, Serena has not made any attempts to play again on the WTA Tour.

Many may have assumed that Venus would retire before Serena because she is older than her. Instead, Venus refuses to rule out playing again and still seems to think she could be able to compete.

Fans were given false information about Venus returning to WTA action earlier this year. The 2025 Indian Wells Open announced her as one of the tournament's wild cards for the women's singles.

During an event appearance, Venus said the news was untrue. That led to a somewhat awkward statement from the tournament, confirming that the former world No. 1 had not taken the wild card.

Other tennis retirements this year demonstrate how unusual it is for a player to even consider competing at 45. Two-time Wimbledon champion and 35-year-old Petra Kvitova will retire at the 2025 US Open.

Kvitova returned from maternity leave in February. The Czech has not enjoyed many victories during that time, and decided to quit professional tennis to be closer to her family and pursue other opportunities.

Richard Gasquet ended his lengthy career at age 38 at the 2025 French Open. In his final match, he lost in the second round against the world No. 1 Jannik Sinner before being given an emotional ceremony afterward.

Gasquet had an incredible 24 seasons on the ATP Tour. His career is one of the longest and most consistent in tennis history. The Frenchman's longevity is demonstrated by his being the third-oldest ATP Challenger Tour champion ever.

Although the interview was not a confirmation, Venus does not rule out fighting against precedent and playing competitively as a 45-year-old. This year's US Open would almost certainly award her a wild card if she wanted one.