Serena Williams’ return to tennis has, rather unsurprisingly, dominated headlines over the last week.
After all, the entire tennis world was rather resigned to the idea that we would never see the legendary figure take to the courts again, having seemingly retired back in 2022 after losing at the US Open.
Alas, she is back, and enjoyed a winning return to action alongside Victoria Mboko in the doubles.
There was uncertainty about what her level might have been like, but a champion like her cannot lose the qualities which once made her the greatest.
Iva Jovic emphasised that when rating Serena Williams’ level, after watching her comeback match.
Iva Jovic rates Serena Williams’ level after watching her at Queen’s
Speaking to the press after she scored a strong win over Alex Eala, the 18-year-old was asked to assess Williams’ level.
Having watched the bulk of it, Jovic stated: “Yeah, I watched not all of it, but I watched a good bit of it, as much as I had time to. I have to say it looked like some pretty good tennis from Serena. She hit I think a 120 serve, and it was a good level. That’s not an easy team that they beat.
How impressed were you with Serena Williams’ level?
A legendary return!
“Looks like she’s feeling sharp. I think she will be back on the singles court very soon, as well. It’s exciting. She’s looking really good. I think it’s going to be some good results for her.”
Asked if she has had the chance to speak with the 42-year-old, Jovic added: “I haven’t, actually. I’m a bit nervous, but hopefully I get to chat with her a little bit at some point during this comeback. It would be incredible. I mean, just seeing her is an inspiration. I can’t imagine. I don’t know how she’s doing what she’s doing.”
Sadly, Serena Williams’ run at Queen’s is over following Victoria Mboko’s injury during her singles match.
Will Serena Williams play singles?
Although it is still in the early stages of her comeback, already many are wondering whether Williams might be considering dabbling with singles again.
After all, she remains arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time across every format, but she has won 23 major titles in singles alone.
Do you think women’s tennis has got better or worse since Serena Williams retired in 2022?
At 42 years of age, she likely will not move as well as she once did, but the American proved her ability to compete with some of the very best earlier this week by shining on the doubles court.
When asked about the likelihood of playing singles, chatting with reporters at Queen’s, she admitted: “For singles, yeah, I can’t say, yeah, I can’t say right now.
“No, I feel like, I probably need to train a little bit more if I wanted to play singles and we’ll see if I get there. And if not, that’s not my journey right now.”
