Serena Williams is set to make her return to tennis next week in Eastbourne, and her sister Venus Williams is happy and relieved that the news is finally public.
The American tennis legend has not played since last year's Wimbledon. During the first set of her match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, she slipped and suffered a severe injury that has kept her out for nearly a year.
Venus has also been away from the sport for a considerable period. The seven-time Grand Slam champion's only appearance since the 2023 Wimbledon Championships was in Chicago in August against Hsieh Su-wei.
The Williams sisters are among the most iconic siblings ever. In addition to their achievements on the singles court, they have also won several Grand Slams and three gold medals together as a doubles team.
Hence, it may be strange for Venus to observe her sister with a different doubles partner in Eastbourne. Serena will play alongside Ons Jabeur, who defeated Venus in the second round of Wimbledon last year.
When asked about Serena's comeback, Venus said she was relieved the news was out because she had been lying to the media in recent months when they asked her about it.
"I've been keeping the secret for a long time and I'm just glad it's out. People say I've heard and you say I don't know, you feel like you are lying, lead me out of this. She hasn't played in a year, I haven't played any year. It's going to be great to see her back in action. She's quite formidable."
Hopefully, Venus can also successfully return to tennis, whether in singles or doubles. Tournaments are better when legends of the sport compete at them, and the Williams sisters certainly fit that description. It will be fascinating to observe Serena's progress during her comeback.