It’s official. Serena Williams is returning to tennis.
And John McEnroe, just like the rest of the tennis world, is ecstatic.
Speaking live on TNT Sports’ broadcast, he reacted to the news as it broke, as it was revealed that the 23-time Grand Slam champion would make her comeback at Queen’s.
He actually posed one theory as to why he thinks Williams has made that decision now, whilst Laura Robson, the tournament director at Queen’s, offered her insight.
John McEnroe reacts after hearing that Serena Williams will return to tennis
McEnroe began by admitting his surprise: “I am semi-shocked that she has decided to do it at her age after having two kids and what she has accomplished.”
However, he thinks he knows why: “I know she did not win a major, and she wanted to prove she could do it, so I assume she was slightly disappointed in not doing that.
How excited are you to watch Serena Williams play on the WTA Tour once again? 🐐
“Having said that, when was her last match, four years ago? It’s a big ask for Serena, but it’s awesome for tennis. She is the GOAT!
“If Serena Williams is the GOAT. If she is coming back, she’s not coming back because she’s happy to play and it’s fun. She is coming back because she wants to win another major. That is the only reason I can think that Serena Williams wants to play tennis again.”
Robson then added: “It’s just so great to have such a big name involved. She is going to be on the doubles court with Victoria Mboko. It almost doesn’t matter how the results go as it will just be so great to see her back on a tennis court.”
And yet, despite Serena Williams’s comeback, Venus Williams has opted to play doubles with Alex Eala at Queen’s. Chanda Rubin thinks she knows why.
What has Serena Williams said about her comeback to tennis?
Although it was only a small press release statement, it was still interesting to see the reasons Serena gave for deciding to return to the sport at Queen’s.
After all, it has been nearly four years since she last played a professional match, with many understandably assuming that she had retired.
Serena Williams will go further than Coco Gauff at Wimbledon – Prove me wrong!
However, having never explicitly announced her departure from tennis, this comeback does not mark the reversal of a retirement, but merely a return to action after a huge hiatus.
She claimed: “Queen’s Club feels like the perfect place to begin this next chapter. Grass has given me some of the most meaningful moments of my career, and I’m excited to be back competing on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.”
